# Kerala grants state honours, aid to flood hero Rajesh R 2026-08-06T10:52:04+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Kerala on Wednesday accorded state honours to Rajesh R, a swimming and disaster rescue instructor who drowned while rescuing a stranded farmer during floods in Kannur district. Chief minister V D Satheesan visited his family and announced the government would fund the completion of Rajesh’s under-construction house. The Kerala High Court paid tribute on Thursday, with Justice Devan Ramachandran calling him 'a true hero' whose sacrifice was 'supreme and unparalleled'. Rajesh handed his life jacket to farmer S Benny, 61, before being swept away by the swollen river on August 1. His body was recovered three days later. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com - livelaw.in Tags: Kannur, Kerala floods, Rescue volunteer, State honours Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-gives-state-honours-to-flood-rescue-volunteer-rajesh-r/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/kerala-gives-state-honours-to-flood-rescue-volunteer-rajesh-r/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.