During the River Crossing, Rajesh Gave His Life Jacket to Benny, Who Struggled Against the Strong Current

The Kerala government on Wednesday granted state honours to Rajesh R, a swimming and disaster rescue instructor who drowned while saving a farmer during recent floods in Cherupuzha, Kannur district. Chief Minister V D Satheesan visited Rajesh's family in Kalliyoor, Thiruvananthapuram, and offered condolences, later announcing state funding to complete Rajesh's under-construction house. On August 1, Rajesh, with associates Shibin and Jithin, volunteered to rescue S Benny (61), a farmer stranded on farmland between a river and dense forests along the Kerala-Karnataka border in Meenthully near Cherupuzha.

During the river crossing, Rajesh gave his life jacket to Benny, who struggled against the strong current. Benny, Jithin, and Shibin reached safety using a rescue rope, but Rajesh was swept away; his body was recovered from an islet on August 4. Satheesan called the death "truly heartbreaking, adding, "His ultimate sacrifice and selfless love for humanity will forever be remembered.