By Tom Tracy
The Manhattan man who suffered a serious neck injury while celebrating the New Year with the Coney Island Polar Bear Club has died, his distraught family announced Monday. Mohan Senevirante, 32, succumbed to his injuries on January 5, roughly four days after his jump into the waters off of Surf Avenue. Not an actual member of the Coney Island Polar Bears, Senevirante was one of the last people to dive into the 48-degree waters during the annual event. When he didn’t resurface, those wading next to him knew something was wrong. Officials believe that Senevirante, a writer for Esquire magazine, impacted with a sandbar head first. A few minutes later, bathers had grabbed Senevirante and pulled him out of the water. When paramedics arrived, the 32-year-old was reportedly conscious, but could not move his feet or legs when asked, witnesses said. Friends and loved ones said that Senevirante attended Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and had worked for Penguin Books and MSNBC before going to Esquire. Funeral services were scheduled to take place in Connecticut, where his parents live. Members of the Coney Island Polar Bears said that this was the first time in recent memory that someone was injured during their annual New Year’s Day plunge into the Atlantic, which is followed by a sign-up and a plunge pledge. The New Years Day dip helped raise $25,000 for Camp Sunshine, a year-round retreat for children with life-threatening diseases. Nearly 350 people participated in the annual event, officials said.
