Mahindra Thar Almost Sinks While Crossing River. Here's How It Was Rescued

The monsoon rainfall can unexpectedly turn a meek stream into a raging river 

A Mahindra Thar was rescued from a stream in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, after it got stuck while attempting to cross it. Although the owner seems to have escaped uninjured from his flooded SUV, the car could only be rescued after a long operation and likely suffered some damage. Watch the video below to see how the JCB bulldozer practically changes the course of the river and then pulls the car out: 

It is unclear why the Thar driver attempted to cross the river in the first place. A video circulating on social media makes the stream seem like a raging river, while it doesn’t seem as deep in the rescue video above. It’s possible that the SUV was caught in a flash flood caused by heavy rainfall somewhere upstream. The Thar owner wisely abandons ship as the car gets flooded. It seems from the video that the owner didn’t attempt to start the car, and that’s a wise move as well. 

The Mahindra Thar is a capable off-roader that provides arguably the best off-roading kit for its asking price of around Rs 15 lakh for its range-topping variant (ex-showroom). It is powered by either a 150PS 2-litre turbo-petrol or a 130PS 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine, and either motor can be paired with a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. 

Also read: This Modified Mahindra Thar Is All You Need To Go Camping In The Wilderness

Its off-road prowess comes from electronically locking hubs, a sophisticated double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension setup, a mechanically locking differential, electronic off-roading traction control system with hill descent control. However, like any off-roader, the Thar has its limits -- it is built and recommended to wade through a maximum of 650mm or slightly more than 2 feet of water. 

How To Prevent Such Accidents While Off-roading

The monsoon season can turn even the most boring off-roading trail into a 4x4 SUV’s playground. But often, there are no signages to warn you about river crossings or nearby streams. If it’s raining, your visibility from behind the wheel reduces further. Take your time to become familiar with the trail and nearby areas, and avoid going to spots that are known to be flash flood zones. A conversation with the locals in that area could give you more insight into the terrain and its features. GPS might be useful, but know that most water bodies swell up during the monsoon, and GPS doesn’t represent seasonal changes. 

What To Do When Caught In A Flash Flood

If you do find yourself in such a situation, try to keep the nose of the car above water to keep the air intake afloat. If the water level is above the level of the intake manifold (the air pipe connected to the air filter), the engine will choke itself and stall. In that worst-case scenario, do not attempt to start the car -- it could damage the engine. It’s best to either wait in the car and call for help if it’s not filling up with water or to escape from the door, windows, sunroof, soft top or any other opening that’s still working and move to a safe spot. 

Also Read: Here’s What Really Caused The Sinkhole In Delhi That Swallowed This Hyundai Grand i10 Hatchback

If water gets into your car’s electrical system (fuse boxes and control modules that are located usually toward the right far corner of your engine bay), it’s likely that the electrically controlled windows and other equipment will stop working. That could be the reason why the driver of this Thar had to possibly get out from the passenger door. If you find that even the door locks aren’t working and you can’t open the door, you can try to kick open the windows (not the windshield as that’s extremely hard) or remove the seat headrest, and use it to break the glass. With enough force, the glue holding the glass will break, and you’ll be able to get out through either the front or rear windshield. Be careful to avoid hurting yourself from the broken glass shards. 

This Thar is likely to have suffered electrical damage from being submerged in water. If such a thing happens to you, know that your insurance policy can cover the damage from such an accident under ‘own damage.’ To learn more about car insurance, go to our sister website InsuranceDekho. Let us know in the comments which vehicle you think could have survived this raging river crossing. The Sherp ATV comes to our mind! 

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