Tree-fall at Matheran resort leaves chartered accountant paralysed

Jesline Gomes before the incident

One moment Chartered Accountant (CA) Jesline Gomes, 25, was sleeping in a tent during a vacation in Matheran, the next she found herself in Kokilaben hospital with a serious head and spinal cord injury. Gomes was grievously injured early on March 21 after a tree fell on the tent she was sleeping in at Alexander Heritage and Rainforest Resorts. Her friend, Karishma Gupta, who was with her, woke up to see Gomes badly injured.

Jesline Gomes in hospital

Gomes, a resident of Pereira Villa at Kolivery village, Kalina, works with a banking instruments company. She is currently bedridden and cannot move anything below her neck. Her rehabilitation treatment has been started.

Gomes's family and friends have approached the Matheran police to file an FIR against the resort but the cops have so far refused to register a complaint stating that this was a natural calamity and that such incidents are common in Matheran. Gomes's family have sent a legal notice to Alexander Heritage and Rainforest Resorts and to Matheran police through a lawyer.

The accident
Gupta, who was in the tent with Gomes, said, "We found Alexander Heritage and Rainforest Resort through Instagram and visited the place on March 20."

The tent she and her friend were in when the tree fell on it

"We visited various points in Matheran and spent time in the camp. We also played games, were singing and enjoying around a bonfire till late in the night and then went to sleep. Around 4 am, I sensed a heaviness on my leg. When I woke with a start, I saw Jesline lying unconscious. I called for help but none of the employees was there to help. Some other guests helped us take Gomes out from under the tree. Her head was bleeding. The hotel didn't even give us first aid. We called 108 and rushed her to the local hospital in Matheran and later to Kalyan-based Fortis hospital. Then her family shifted her to Kokilaben hospital," Karishma said.

The doctors told Gomes's family that she had spinal fractures leading to spinal cord damage. She underwent spinal surgery. The injury has caused Gomes intense pain and has restricted her movements. She will have to be on bed rest and will require six to eight months of rehabilitation and a year in recovery.

Sunil Patil, a head constable at Matheran police station said, "We recorded the hotel owner's statement and that of the victim. We have not registered any case as this is a natural calamity. Many such accidents take place in Matheran."

Gomes's advocate Subham Singh said, "We have sent a legal notice to the hotel. My client has spent more than R25 lakh on medical expenses and surgery. The police should register the case as the incident occurred at the property of the owner of the resort and the resort owner is responsible for this incident."

Gupta added, "The resort owner invited more than 150 people amid the COVID pandemic. We told the police about this, too, but they didn't take any action about it." mid-day contacted the resort owner several times but did not get a response.