Jineesh Jerome, the young fisherman who rescued several people during the Kerala floods, died in a road accident in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu on September 30. He was buried at his native place Pallivilakam in Thiruvananthapuram district. He was part of the team of fishermen called Coastal Warriors who saved thousands of lives in the flood-ravaged state.
The tragic accident
According to the Outlook, Jineesh was riding a bike along with his friend towards Kanyakumari. On a narrow road, he lost his balance and fell from the bike, when he was run over by a lorry.
As per Manorama Online reports, Jineesh had apparently gone to Chinnathurai in Kanyakumari district in search of work.
The Indian Express quoted one of his friends, John Mathew, also a member of Coastal Warriors, “There was a delay in taking him to hospital. After the accident, he was left unattended for nearly half-an-hour as there was no one in the vicinity. He bled profusely.”
On Saturday, after receiving the news of the accident, several people arrived at the hospital in Neyyattinkara to donate blood. “His was the rare B-negative blood group. But more than 100 people turned up at the hospital expressing the willingness to donate blood,” Mathew told The Indian Express.
Who was Jineesh Jerome?
According to The Statesman, Jineesh Jerome, 24, was a fisherman hailing from the Poonthura coast in Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala. As part of the Coastal Warriors team, Jineesh had saved nearly sixty lives, by safely evacuating the stranded people during the flood. He had studied till class 12 and was the sole breadwinner of the family. Jineesh is survived by his parents and two younger siblings Jomy and Jitin.
Condolences pour in
His funeral on Sunday was attended by hundreds. According to the Indian Express, Chengannur legislator Saji Cheriyan, one of the attendees, said, “It is a very sad development. On August 17, I had gone in the fishing vessel brought by Jerome and his friends in the Coastal Warriors. He rescued at least 60 people from the most difficult locations.”
Local Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also mourned the death of the brave fisherman. He tweeted, “Walked in the funeral procession of 24-year-old Jineesh, a hero of the #KeralaFloods credited with saving over 60 lives personally, who was killed when a lorry ran over his motorcycle yesterday. Laid a wreath and prayed for his soul. As the old saw goes, the Good do indeed die young.”
Walked in the funeral procession of 24 year-old Jineesh, a hero of the #KeralaFloods credited with saving over 60 lives personally, who was killed when a lorry ran over his motorcycle yesterday. Laid a wreath&prayed for his soul. As the old saw goes, the Good do indeed die young. pic.twitter.com/NTcV8jQEau
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 30, 2018
Leena Susan Mathew, whose aged parents were rescued by Jerome and his team, told the Outlook, “There was none to help my stranded parents other than these fishermen.”
The Logical Indian take
The Logical Indian team expresses deep condolences on the death of Jineesh Jerome. The Coastal Warriors were indeed the true saviours during the Kerala floods. They risked their own lives to be the first to reach out and help the stranded residents, even before government aid could reach them.
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