Navi Mumbai Man Dies After Swimming Session At Civic Body Pool In Vashi; 2nd Case In 2 Months | X/@KunalUmarani
Navi Mumbai: A 42-year-old man from Koparkhairane, Chacko Mathew, collapsed and reportedly died shortly after his regular swimming session at the civic-run pool on March 21. Mathew, who had no known pre-existing health conditions, began experiencing shortness of breath soon after entering the water. Recognising his discomfort, he exited the pool but soon required urgent medical attention.
He was rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead within 15 minutes. A postmortem report confirmed that Mathew had no external injuries, reported Times of India. Vashi police have filed an accidental death report and are awaiting results from the Kalina forensic laboratory to determine the exact cause of death. His wife, Ancy Chacko, is expected to be questioned about his medical history.
Similar Case Reported Last Month At Same Pool
A similar tragedy had occurred just a month earlier at the same pool. On February 7, 44-year-old Shreya Sandeep Bhoir, a resident of Sector 31A, Vashi, died after suffering a cardiac arrest. Bhoir had recently enrolled in swimming lessons at the facility, which opened to the public three months ago.
On the afternoon of the incident, she entered the pool wearing a safety jacket but soon felt uneasy. CCTV footage shows her exiting the pool and vomiting by 4:21 pm. Pool staff attempted CPR before rushing her to Swarajya Hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival.
NMMC Denies Negligence Over Death Of Member
Authorities confirmed that over 25 personnel were present at the pool during the incident. While the official cause of death has been attributed to a heart attack, allegations of inadequate safety measures and untrained coaches have surfaced. Some citizens have raised concerns about whether emergency response protocols were effectively followed. However, the NMMC has denied any negligence, maintaining that safety standards were in place.
The swimming facility, located in Vashi’s Juhugaon area, was part of several projects virtually inaugurated by former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in October 2024.
