Kerala flood rescue hero dies in motorcycle accident

Teams like the one Jineesh Jeron worked with were the first to help in rescue efforts

The past few days have brought grief to Keralites through the demise of two young men who made the state proud in their own contrasting styles, one a musician and the other a fisherman.

Tragically, both lives were lost in road accidents.

The deceased heroes are violinist Balabhaskar, 40, who enthralled music lovers across Kerala and outside through his fusion music, and fisherman Jineesh Jeron, 24 who was among the “fishermen’s army” that saved hundreds of lives during the floods in Kerala last month.

Jeron died on Saturday, and Balabhaskar who was critically injured in a car accident on September 25, died on Tuesday.

Jeron, who hailed from Poonthura on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, was run over by a truck after losing his balance on a motorcycle and falling during a trip to Tamil Nadu.

The accident occurred at Uchakada. He was rushed to a private hospital but succumbed to injuries.

Tearful farewell

The young man was given a tearful farewell at a church in Poonthura.

The funeral was attended by a large number of people, including members of the Coastal Warriors rescue team of which he was a member.

His team saved dozens of people in Chengannur, one of the regions in Kerala that accounts for a large number of Non-Resident Indians, and which features a sizeable number of mansions with elderly couples being the only residents in many of them.

In a tribute to the deceased hero, the Chengannur Member of Legislative A, Saji Cherian led a team from Chengannur to attend Jeron’s funeral.

“Jeron’s funeral was attended by a large number of people,” Rajeev Joseph, a Catholic priest who used to work in the area and is now based in Kuttanad told Gulf News.

After the flood waters receded, Jeron and his teammates were accorded receptions for their heroic acts.