Noida water park incident: 24 year old Delhiite declared dead after riding water slide
Delhiite Dhananjay Maheshwari went to the water park at TGIP mall in Noida on April 7. After riding a slide, he felt uneasy and was taken to the hospital.
The news of the death of Dhananjay Maheshwari, a 24-year-old resident of Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar, after riding a slide at a Noida-based water park has left his family, friends, and many others in a state of shock. Maheshwari's father told us that the deceased was quite fit and a national-level cricket player.
Maheshwari, who worked with his father at their family’s business in cables, had gone on an impromptu trip to the water park on April 7 while accompanying four of his friends. He undertook a few rides and was completely healthy, as per his friends. But then, after riding one particular slide, he started feeling breathless and sat down to rest a bit. His condition, however, worsened and his friends called the attention of staffers, who in turn called the doctors to help in… As advised by the doctor, the staff took him to Kailash Hospital in Noida's sector 27, in the establishment’s ambulance and accompanied by a doctor and a technician, but upon reaching, the doctors declared him dead on arrival and handed over his body to the Police.
Manish Kumar Mishra, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), Noida Police, informs, “We have ruled out drowning and any external injury after the autopsy, however, the exact cause of death remains unclear and the body has been preserved for further testing. There was no water on the slide, in fact, it was not very high either and looked similar to the slides that we see in children’s playgrounds... Seeing the autopsy, we found that the position of the heart was slightly different from the normal position but we can’t say this with certainty. This will only be determined after further tests are conducted by our forensics and medical experts.”
When HT City got in touch with Dhananjay’s father, Sanjay Maheshwari, he told us, “I absolutely blame the management of the water park. Dhananjay was very fit. He was a national-level cricketer and has also represented Nagaland state a few years ago. He was so fit that he would go running every day and could run 5km without a break. It was only after the Covid lockdown that his physical activity reduced a bit but he was still completely healthy... On Sunday, all the youngsters in our neighbourhood had gathered to play cricket like they would usually do, but ended up going to the water park. After that my son didn’t come back home. I feel, if my son had received timelymedical attention and treatment, he would have been here with us.”
But the mall management refuses all claims made by Dhananjay’s father. Virender Tyagi, head of security at TGIP Mall and Gardens Galleria, says, “The incident took place inside the water park and five youngsters were there, out of which four took the ride. After the slide, one of them began feeling unwell so two of his friends stayed with him while the other two left to take the other slides. When our staffer found him, Dhananjay said his stomach was hurting and the staffer advised him to come to the medical room. But he refused and said he wanted to lay at the spot only. At that point, our staffers called the doctors from the medical room and senior officials also got a wheelchair. When the doctor arrived and checked Dhananjay’s pulse, it was realised that his condition was serious and advised him to be shifted to the hospital immediately. We always have an ambulance, doctor, and technician readily available in case of emergencies; Dhananjay was transported to the hospital in the same ambulance. There, the doctors declared him dead on arrival. We gave him the best possible facilities that we had and promptly shifted him to the hospital when required. There was no delay from our end. It is our duty to provide the customer with the best safety, security, and facilities, which we did and will continue doing. Also, our staff is trained to give first aid and receive daily briefings on the dos and don’ts in case of emergencies, which is why such prompt action could be taken in this case.”
Dr M Wali, cardiologist and former physician to the President, opines, “There are several conditions with which youngsters can be walking without realising that they have any problems. Some of these include Brugada syndrome or short QT Syndrome, which a gene and youngsters are completely unaware of it. Prima facie, it appears to be that, but another problem we are seeing in youngsters of that age is cardiomyopathy and polycythemia, especially the latter in which the blood becomes thicker… Regular checkups, irrespective of age, is the way here. One mustn’t wait for an incident to worry about the heart health. For those who do have any heart issues, you don’t need to avoid water or amusement parks but simply must be under supervision. Such (water park) facilities must have trained staff and defibrillators, in case of such an emergency.”