Overview
- R. Rajesh, a 36-year-old swimming and rappelling instructor, swam to an islet at Meenthully to help a stranded farmer and gave his own life jacket to the 61-year-old before he was swept away in flood currents on August 1.
- After a three-day search his body was recovered on Tuesday and he was accorded full State honours at a funeral attended by the chief minister and other officials.
- The state cabinet has approved completing Rajesh’s unfinished house and political leaders from across the spectrum publicly paid tribute to his sacrifice.
- Search-and-rescue operations continue in Kannur for other missing people with fire, police, civil defence teams and a 12-member unit from the Turkey Life Saving Committee joining the work along swollen rivers.
- Officials say the events form part of a wider monsoon emergency that has left at least 20 people dead, more than 12,000 displaced and preliminary farm losses around 165 hectares, and they underline the heavy reliance on volunteer rescuers in Kerala’s flood response.