A seven-year-old boy died Friday after drowning in a lake at Park Darom in Tel Aviv, despite extensive rescue efforts and prolonged attempts to resuscitate him.
The child had entered the lake together with a friend but failed to emerge from the water. When the other boy came out of the lake alone, it became apparent that the seven-year-old was missing, prompting an urgent search.
Emergency and rescue personnel were dispatched to the scene, including Lahava, the Israel Fire and Rescue Service’s national special-rescue unit, as crews searched the lake for the missing child.
The boy was eventually located in the water and pulled out unconscious. Emergency personnel immediately began performing CPR before rushing him in critical condition to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. Doctors later pronounced him dead.
Magen David Adom personnel described the large-scale emergency response that followed the initial report.
“We received a report of a child who was missing in a lake. We arrived at the scene with large forces, including ambulances, motorcycles and rapid-response vehicles,” MDA personnel said.
They said that while the search was underway, the child was brought to rescuers without a pulse and not breathing.
“During the searches, the child was brought to us unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. We immediately began performing resuscitation efforts, providing ventilation and administering medication. We placed him in an MDA intensive care ambulance and evacuated him to the trauma room in critical condition.”
ZAKA volunteers Avshalom Darchi of the organization’s motorcycle unit and Barak Sharabi, who responded to the scene, said they initially received a report that several children had entered the water and that one of them was missing.
“We received a report of several children who entered the water and one of them was missing. A civilian who was at the scene located the child unconscious and pulled him from the water to the rescue personnel, who performed resuscitation efforts on him and ultimately were forced to pronounce him dead.
“Together with additional ZAKA volunteers, we are ensuring the dignity of the deceased and assisting the police forces operating at the scene.”
Police remained at the scene following the tragedy as authorities continued their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drowning.
{Matzav.com}
