14-yr-old Balangir boy’s miraculous survival with a javelin in his neck

BALANGIR/BHUBANESWAR: Fourteen-year-old Sadanand Meher, a student of Agalpur Boys’ High School in Balangir district, on Saturday experienced what a ‘close shave’ meant. A five-and-half-feet long javelin passed right through his neck at around 10 am, but missed the most vital organ - the wind pipe, barely by centimetres. Even the blood vessels in the region remained unharmed.

The teenager was at the annual sports meet of the school when the javelin came out of nowhere and penetrated the pretracheal region of the neck. As he sat in a state of shock and trauma, guardians of fellow students and school staff rushed to him. That he was saved by swift action of the Balangir district administration and team of doctors of Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital (BBMCH) is another story. The Class IX student who acted with incredible composure, paying heed to every instruction, was the real hero.

As soon as news broke about the incident, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik immediately announced free treatment for the boy.  The CM’s private secretary VK Pandian got in touch with the district collector to ensure everything went right.

Head of Surgery department of BBMCH Dr Prabhat Rath said, the moment Sadanand was wheeled into the hospital, every diagnostic system was moved into the operation theatre. “We could not have risked his movement since the javelin was stuck. X-ray, ultrasound and other examinations were carried out in the OT which took about three hours,” he told The New Indian Express. 

“It was unbelievable that the javelin had missed the wind pipe by centimetres and all major blood vessels were intact. The whole thing was hanging by the skin of the chin but we had to be extremely careful to ensure it remained that way. We cut through the skin and muscle layers to remove the javelin. The surgery lasted an hour,” he said.

But the real challenge was immediately after the mishap. Doctors of Agalpur community health centre rushed to the school to ensure that the javelin’s balance was maintained all the way till he made it to the medical college. Eyewitnesses said there was shock all around the school but Sadanand did not panic at all. That saved him. He was administered painkillers at the spot and accompanied by doctors to the medical college in an ambulance. “Sadanand’s condition is normal and we will keep a watch on his infection. He will be on liquid diet for a few days,” added Dr Rath.

Head of ENT Department of BBMCH Dr Satyajit Mishra said it is pure miracle that the javelin didn’t damage any vital part of the boy’s neck. He will recover soon, added Mishra. Meanwhile, Sadanand’s uncle Achyutanand Meher accused the school authorities of negligence. How could they conduct such a risky practice without proper supervision. He demanded a high-level inquiry. District education officer Dhruba Charan Behera an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.