A teenager who was set to go to Cambridge University died after taking a sip of a Pina Colada while on holiday in Spain, an inquest heard.
Shiv Mistry, 18, who was allergic to dairy products, was with friends at a bar in Fuengirola, Spain, when he was offered a sip of the cocktail.
Bartender Used Cow's Milk Instead of Coconut Cream
Mistry accepted the drink, unaware that the pineapple drink had been made by a barman using cow's milk cream instead of coconut cream. Mistry, who was due to start a degree in medicine, immediately suffered an anaphylactic shock and collapsed moments after consuming the lethal cocktail.
He died despite the efforts of his friends to save his life, the Buckinghamshire coroner heard. The teenager's parents, from Amersham, Bucks., who were present at the inquest in Beaconsfield, said their son immediately recognised he had consumed milk and made his way back to the apartment with his friends. He went to the bathroom to vomit and then requested for an EpiPen.
"Each gasp was longer apart until his breathing stopped," Assistant coroner Ian Wade QC read a statement from the parents. "They gave him CPR for 20 minutes and someone called his parents on WhatsApp to tell them what had happened," Mr. Wade continued. "They said to apply a second EpiPen. Emergency services arrived and they used a defibrillator."
The inquest heard how the teenager was taken by air ambulance to the Costa Del Sol Hospital in Marbella, Spain, where he was rushed into intensive care. Despite the best efforts of the doctors, he was pronounced brain stem dead on July 8. A cause of death, issued by the Spanish doctors, was listed as anaphylactic shock.
Mistry Took Care to Avoid Dairy Products Throughout His Life
The coroner also read out a series of GP documents, confirming that Shiv was aware of his cow's milk allergy and had taken care to avoid any exposure to traces of milk and dairy products throughout his life.
Concluding the inquest, Mr. Wade said: "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."
"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," the coroner continued. "He realised he was in peril and he was given EpiPens. He was given immediate attention by friends who raised the alarm."
"Police attended relatively quickly and they knew what they were doing. He was given CPR and rushed to Costa Del Sol Hospital, Marbella, but he could not be revived," the coroner added. "He passed away after he was effectively brain stem dead."
GoFundMe Page
Following the teenager's tragic death in July, the family has raised more than £11,000 in donations to Anaphylaxis UK alongside funding the development of an app for allergy sufferers, which the family hope will be made standard practice when sufferers are diagnosed.
The GoFundMe page, set up by Shiv's uncle, Kalpesh Mistry, reads: "My Nephew, Shiv, had recently turned 18. He was in Spain with his friends to celebrate finishing his exams and looking forward to attending Claire College at Cambridge University to study Medicine later this year.
"Whilst holidaying in Spain, he sadly died, Shiv had an allergic reaction and went into anaphylactic shock. His friends, medics and police tried to revive him, but it was not possible."
"Shiv has lived with a dairy allergy since he was a little boy. As part of a request from the family, we would like to make donations in the memory of Shiv. Donations will be spilt some going to Anaphylaxis UK and to other worthwhile endeavours which will also aid people that have allergies and anaphylaxis by proactively using mobile and other technology."
