An 18-year-old man who was allergic to dairy products died in Spain this July after he took one sip of a pina colada made with cow’s milk instead of coconut milk.
Shiv Mistry, who had planned to attend Clare College at Cambridge University, went into anaphylactic shock, according to the New York Post.
Mistry, who was on vacation with friends, initially began to sweat, hyperventilate and vomit after partaking of his friend’s drink.
RIP: Brit, 18, dies after taking one sip of Pina Colada on Costa del Sol holiday
A young British man bound for Claire College, Cambridge, sadly died after sipping a pina colada cocktail. Shiv Mistry had only just turned 18 when he died from an allergic reaction pic.twitter.com/MKxyzYI7Oh
— Byron Calloway (@ByronCalloway1) September 8, 2022
Cetirizine, a strong antihistamine, was given to him, but Mistry felt “weak and dazed and requested his friends call the emergency services,” assistant coroner Ian Wade said, according to Metro.
Mistry “then requested an EpiPen and an inhaler. His other friends arrived and one left to guide emergency services to the room,” Wade said.
The Post report said a second EpiPen was used by his friends, and that a defibrillator was used by first responders.
“Each gasp was longer apart until his breathing stopped. They gave him CPR for 20 minutes and someone called his parents on WhatsApp to tell them what had happened,” he said.
Could this tragedy have been prevented?
‘Shiv was a man, or boy, who knew he had to take care of himself and did take care because he suffered from a dangerous allergy to cow’s milk,” Wade said at the conclusion of the coroner’s hearing, according to the Daily Mail.
“He was invited to take a sip of Pina Colada, a drink which should not have cow’s milk in it. Unbeknownst to Shiv, it was inappropriately made with cow’s milk. He realized he was in peril and he was given EpiPens. He was given immediate attention by friends who raised the alarm,” he said.
Wade said Mistry “passed away after he was effectively brain stem dead.”
Judgish Mistry, the teen’s father, said after the hearing: “There should be more education given to this age group, as they are inexperienced and going out on their own.”
“Shiv was lucky, he had friends who were medically aware and could apply CPR –however, there will be young people going on holiday with friends with no medical knowledge at all,” he said.
“Schools should give medical training to anyone who has a friend that suffers from a life-threatening allergy. What we’re trying to do is make more people aware that this can happen, especially amongst this age group who just want to be like their friends,” he said.
Mistry’s parents said in a statement that they did not blame the friends their son was with at the time.
“We, Shiv’s parents, do not lay any blame on Shiv’s friends who were very courageous and did everything possible to save his life and should be commended during the hearing, if appropriate,” they said in the statement.
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