Poovar, Uchakada: Jineesh Jeron (24), who was hailed by villagers as 'hero fisherman' has now said goodbye to life. Jineesh, a young fisherman who rescued many people during the Kerala floods, died on Saturday (September 29) morning after being run over by a lorry on Friday (September 28) afternoon.

The accident happened in Poovar's Uchakada when Jineesh was travelling along with his friend to Tamil Nadu in their bike. According to reports, the bike lost balance, and the duo fell on the road. Jineesh, who fell down, was run over by a lorry. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where he was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He expired due to injuries on Saturday (September 29) morning.

A native of Poonthura, Jineesh, was a fisherman, who was one among the first persons to reach Chengannur to rescue people. Chengannur was one of the worst affected places during the Kerala floods. He was a member of ‘Coastal Warriors’, a group which was one of the first teams to respond to the floods. Jineesh was helpful in finding people stuck in their houses due to the continuous waterlogging that happened as a result of rains and the subsequent opening of dams in Kerala. 

Jineesh started venturing out into the sea at the age of 15 after class 12. He and his family lived in a rented house after their house got destroyed by the sea’s fury three years ago.

Jineesh was praised for his heroism with posters, flex boards and banners lining the sides of the road leading to his house in Poonthura. His mortal remains were carried in a procession with scores of people accompanying the coffin to the St Thomas church near Poonthura on Sunday.