After 46 hours of search operation, the dead body of 42-year-old Joy was retrieved on Monday, July 15. Joy was hired by the Southern Railways to clean the Aamayizhanjan canal waterway near the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Station in Thampanoor. The 42-year-old’s body was found in the canal at the Pazhavangadi -Thakaraparambu Vanjiyoor road. 

The dead body was spotted by a corporation sanitation worker who immediately alerted the police and fire and rescue officials. The sanitation workers who went to clear the garbage near the canal were instructed to check for the body while performing their duty. 

“I found a body floating and informed the officials. Immediately the officials arrived and confirmed that it was Joy,” the worker who found the dead body told the media. 

Three days ago, Southern Railways had hired three workers including Joy to clean the canal near the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Station. But he was swept away on Saturday, July 13 at around 11 am while clearing the trash blocking the waterway.

Though the water was stagnant when the workers began cleaning, the recent rainfall increased the water flow and Joy got swept away in the current. Though the accompanying workers tried to rescue him by throwing a rope at him, he could not hold on to it.

Following this, the Fire and Rescue Service officials began their rescue operation at the spot where he was working. However, as they could find the body, they widened the search to other areas of the canal.

The search was challenging due to the waste deposits in the canal that had created an oxygen deficiency beneath the water, officials said. Subsequently, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and expert divers from the Indian Navy were engaged in the operation. 

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Opposition leader VD Satheeesan and other politicians expressed their condolences and grief over the incident. 

According to reports, after the postmortem procedure his funnel will be conducted in his house around 3 pm on Monday.