MUMBAI: Fifty-one days after he fell from a dahi handi pyramid and fractured his spine, 20-year-old 'govinda' Prathamesh Sawant died in the intensive care unit of KEM Hospital, Parel, on Saturday morning.
"We got a call around 11 am from the hospital saying the scans showed a complete flatline,'' said his aunt Vrushali Sawant, a resident of Currey Road.
"Our team took good care of Prathamesh and kept him alive for so long, but he had two cardiac arrests since Friday. We revived him after the first arrest, but couldn't after the second," said KEM Hospital dean Dr Sangeeta Rawat.
This was Prathamesh's first dahi handi without his father, who passed away due to jaundice in 2021. His mother had died of cancer almost a decade back and his only sister died soon thereafter.
Prathamesh, who turned 20 in July, would deliver papers and study for his second year ITI course in the mornings and deliver pizzas in the evenings. He was so enthusiastic about dahi handi this year that he participated in the month- long training.
On the fateful day on August 19, he wasn't wearing a security harness or helmet. He fell from the second tier as the pyramid collapsed and many from the tiers above fell on him.
"This dahi handi, Prathamesh was with my husband, but they were in different circles," said his aunt. Prathamesh fell, fractured his spine and became quadriplegic with no sensation in his arms or legs.
His family members said he was first taken to Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar, and then shifted to KEM Hospital.
He was conscious for most of his hospital stay and would speak to his relatives. "But of late, he seemed to be forgetting things. He once asked where his father was and had completely forgotten that he is no more," said Vrushali Sawant.
With physiotherapy, he was able to slowly move his hand to his face. "He had regained more sensation and would tell us that he had soiled his diaper," she said. He had also become tired of staying at the hospital and would often complain about it, but the family couldn't take him back home due to his respiratory problems.
A few days back, he developed pneumonia and his blood pressure kept dropping. "His entire stay was free at KEM Hospital and we have no complaints," said Vrushali Sawant. His body was in the hospital till late in the night as the family was waiting for relatives from Ratnagiri to arrive before the cremation.
Prathamesh Sawant is the second Govinda to die during the dahi handi festival this year. Earlier, 24-year-old Sandesh Salvi had passed away after suffering serious head injuries.
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