French tourist trampled to death in Ooty

French tourist Annie Delhotal, 66, was trampled to death by an elephant at the Vibudhimalai Murugan forest in Ooty on Friday.

Annie’s son Fredrick, in a police complaint lodged at Masinagudi, said they were on a trekking expedition when they spotted some elephants drinking water.

A mother elephant, protecting a calf, chased them, he said, when they went closer to take photographs. Annie slipped and fell, and was trampled upon by the elephant, but Fredrick escaped with bruises.

The police later retrieved Annie’s body. Fredrick was treated at the Gudalur hospital and discharged. He took possession of his mother’s body after a post-mortem and left for Bangalore, from where he will return to France.