PattyFreytag2 at 09:50, 11 April 2026

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{{Short description|2006 rescue in Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{Infobox news event|title=Guna Caves rescue|place=[[Guna Caves]]|reported injuries=1|date=3 September 2006}}
On 3 September 2006, Subhash Chandran fell into [[Guna Caves]] in Tamil Nadu, India and was rescued by his friend Siju David.<ref name="H2"/> This is the only known case where a person who has fallen into Guna Caves has survived.<ref name="O">{{Cite web|url=http://tamil.oneindia.com/news/2006/09/06/youth.html|title=குணா குகையில் விழுந்து மீண்ட கேரள இளைஞர்!|trans-title=Kerala youth recovered after falling into Guna cave!|work=[[Oneindia]]|language=ta|date=6 September 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120170225/http://tamil.oneindia.com/news/2006/09/06/youth.html|archive-date=20 November 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=14 September 2024|location=Kodaikanal}}</ref>

==Background==
{{Quote box|width=30%|align=Right|quote="It was pitch dark inside and no one knew whether the rope reached him"|source= Report on the incident, 2006<ref name="H">{{Cite web|url=https://thehinduimages.com/details-page.php?id=9776020|title=A friend in need|work=[[The Hindu]]|location=Kochi|date=12 October 2006|access-date=14 September 2024|archive-date=14 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240914032722/https://thehinduimages.com/details-page.php?id=9776020|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|''[[The Hindu]]'' news report inaccurately labeled the photo by switching the order of Siju David and Subhash Chandran's names.<ref name="H"/>}} }}

{{Multiple image
| image1 = Guna cave Kodaikanal Harry 6.jpg
| image2 = Guna cave kodai.jpg
| footer = Photos of Guna Cave in different angles
| total_width = 300
| align = right
}}

Subhash Chandran who was 19 at the time was from [[Manjummel]], [[Ernakulam]], Kerala and worked as a painter. Subhash, along with Siju David, who is also known as Kuttan, and numerous other childhood friends were part of a club named Darshana.{{efn|The ''[[Oneindia]]'' news report inaccurately had the name Sasi instead of Siju David.<ref name="O"/>}}<ref name="O" /><ref name="N"/> 9 club members went to [[Kodaikanal]] to visit Guna Caves.<ref name="N"/><ref name="H2"/> A sign in Tamil indicated that the area was a prohibited area where 13 people had died; however, the group could not read Tamil and proceeded to cross the dilapidated fence.<ref name="N">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2024/Mar/19/a-day-out-with-original-manjummel-boys|title=A day out with the original Manjummel Boys|work=[[The New Indian Express]]|date=18 March 2024|access-date=14 September 2024|archive-date=29 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329154922/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2024/Mar/19/a-day-out-with-original-manjummel-boys|url-status=live}}</ref>

Subhash, who had wanted to go into the 100-foot deep cave, tripped and fell inside.<ref name="O"/> His friend Abhilash John was the first to notice his fall and informed the rest of the friend group.<ref name="N"/> When the friend group made contact with locals they were advised to leave to avoid trouble.<ref name="N"/> The friends informed the forest department, and faced police brutality before the forest department staff, firemen, and forest officer Thirunavukkarasukmai rushed to rescue Chandran.<ref name="N"/><ref name="O"/>

Subhash's friends urged the firemen to go inside as his condition would be known only by going down into the cave but they were afraid to go inside because of the history of the caves. Sixon John, another of the friends, yelled loudly, briefly waking Subhash.<ref name="W"/> After hearing his voice, Kuttan then decided to go inside.<ref name="W"/><ref name="O"/> With a 50-foot rope and an additional rope tied around his waist, Kuttan slowly climbed down.<ref name="H"/> When the first rope ended, Kuttan turned his torch on but turned it off since he could only see bats.<ref name="N"/> After going down 60 feet, he saw Subhash lying on a rock and shouted up that their friend was alive.<ref name="O"/>

Firefighters rushed in one after the other. Kuttan hugged Subhash tightly to his body and they were slowly pulled up by the firemen. First aid was given to an unconscious Subhash and after almost 5 hours, he was brought back to a conscious state.<ref name="O"/>

==List of Manjummel boys==
<small>Note: After the success of the film ''[[Manjummel Boys]]'', the friend group became popular by that name.<ref name="N"/></small>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name
! Comments
! Actors portrayed
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{refh}}
|-
| Subhash Chandran || the victim of the accident
|Character played by [[Sreenath Bhasi]]|| rowspan="3" |<ref name="N"/>
|-
| Siju David aka Kuttan ||the rescuer of Subhash also the eldest person among the boys
|Character played by [[Soubin Shahir]]
|-
| Abhilash John || He saw Subhash fall into the pit, became traumatized and disassociated himself from the group for a period.
| Character played by [[Chandu Salim Kumar]]
|-
| Sixon John || He worked in a metal manufacturing unit and gained a habit of having a loud voice. Also younger brother of Siju John || Character played by [[Balu Varghese]]|| <ref name="N"/><ref name="W">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theweek.in/news/entertainment/2024/03/13/malayalam-cinema-manjummel-boys-subhash-s-belt-saved-his-life-at-guna-caves-director-explains-why-scene-at-house-of-sreenath-bhasi-s-character-was-not-random.html|title='Manjummel Boys': Director explains why 'belt fight' scene at Subhash's house was not random|work=[[The Week (Indian magazine)|The Week]]|first=Sarah|last=Sebastian|date=13 March 2024|access-date=20 September 2024|archive-date=19 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240919214910/https://www.theweek.in/news/entertainment/2024/03/13/malayalam-cinema-manjummel-boys-subhash-s-belt-saved-his-life-at-guna-caves-director-explains-why-scene-at-house-of-sreenath-bhasi-s-character-was-not-random.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| Krishnakumar M. || While swimming as a kid, he got stuck in a current and was saved by Siju David. || Character played by [[Ganapathi S. Poduval]]|| rowspan="6" |<ref name="N"/>
|-
| Prasad P. S. || The driver. He revisited Kodaikanal in 2009 and recalled how the locals still remembered the incident. || Character played by [[Khalid Rahman]]
|-
| Sumesh U. S. || He did not go on the trip, but he helped his friends financially for the return trip from [[Kodaikanal]] and for Subhash's treatment. || Character not in the film
|-
| Sujith U. S. || || Character played by [[Arun Kurian]]
|-
| Anil Joseph
| || Character played by [[Abhiram Radhakrishnan]]
|-
| Siju John
| || Character played by [[Lal Jr.]]
|-
| Sudheesh
|
|Character played by [[Deepak Parambol]] || rowspan="2" | <ref name="movie"/>
|-
| Jinson
| || Character played by Vishnu Reghu
|-
|}

== Aftermath ==
Subhash Chandran, Siju David, and their friends were charged with entering a prohibited area and had to pay a fine of ₹2,500. After the incident, the director of a fire safety technology institute in Kerala offered to enroll Kuttan in a free course and sponsor his higher studies.<ref name="H"/> The friend group was withheld in Kodaikanal,<ref name="N"/> and they were only able to safely leave without legal hassles after the intervention of the doctor who treated Chandran.<ref name="H"/>

The Dindigul [[District magistrate|Collector]] has spoken about erecting a fence and safety grills at Guna Caves to ensure safety in the future.<ref name="H2">{{Cite news |title=Real Manjummel Boys hero in 2006: I could not think of going back without my childhood friend|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/real-manjummel-boys-hero-in-2006-i-could-not-think-of-going-back-without-my-childhood-friend/article67917961.ece |access-date=9 March 2024 |website=The Hindu|date=5 March 2024 |language=en |archive-date=5 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305173732/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/real-manjummel-boys-hero-in-2006-i-could-not-think-of-going-back-without-my-childhood-friend/article67917961.ece
|url-access=subscription |last1=Kumar |first1=D. Suresh }}</ref>

It took six months for Subhash Chandran to recover from the incident and he spent sixty days in an [[Ayurveda|ayurvedic]] hospital.<ref name="N"/>

In 2008, Siju David received a [[Jeevan Raksha Padak|bravery award]] from President [[Pratibha Patil]].<ref name="N"/>

==Movie depiction ==
Many directors met with the boys in order make a film based on the incident<ref name="N"/> but they were called off due to high expenses.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

In 2023, director [[Chidambaram S. Poduval|Chidambaram]] met with the group and finalised a project based on this incident under the title ''[[Manjummel Boys]]'',<ref name="H2"/> and the movie was released in theatres in 2024 and became the [[Highest grossing Malayalam films|second highest grossing Malayalam movie ever]]. The film grossed more than 200 crore at the box office and received praise even in [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="movie">{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/manjummel-boys-inches-closer-to-rs-200-cr-mark-globally-50-cr-in-tamil-nadu-9218992/|title=Manjummel Boys inches closer to Rs 200 cr mark globally, becomes first non-Tamil movie, without dubbed version, to gross Rs 50 cr in Tamil Nadu|work=[[The Indian Express]]|date=17 March 2024|access-date=20 September 2024|archive-date=1 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241001020604/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/manjummel-boys-inches-closer-to-rs-200-cr-mark-globally-50-cr-in-tamil-nadu-9218992/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web
| title=Siju David vs State Of Kerala Represented By on 10 April, 2015
| website=indiankanoon.org
| url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/48964300/?type=print&__cf_chl_tk=AbxR6OeI40uzTGnRgJ6yVqMKTBhMPpf5aLtRWbIKXkI-1726290261-0.0.1.1-4948
| access-date=14 September 2024
| date=10 April 2015
}}

[[Category:Caving incidents and rescues]]

Guna Caves rescue - Revision history

PattyFreytag2 at 09:50, 11 April 2026