American teen dies after becoming dehydrated during Negev hike
Maya Schulder, 16, tourist from Arizona traveling with Jewish camp group, collapses near Bedouin town, evacuated by IAF helicopter
An American teenager died of dehydration this weekend after falling ill during a hike in the Negev with a tourist group of teenagers traveling in Israel.
Maya Schulder, a 16-year-old tourist from Arizona, collapsed during the hike on Wednesday near the Bedouin town of Ein Akeb in the Zin Valley, a popular hiking route.
She was evacuated by an Israeli Air Force helicopter to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba where she was pronounced dead, according to Army Radio.
The report said the group had an insufficient amount of water with them amid a heat wave which saw temperatures climb to over 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) in recent days.
The group of teenagers were on a four-week Israel trip with Camp Stein, a Jewish camp operated by Congregation Beth Israel in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The camp posted a tribute on its Facebook page to Schulder.
On Twitter, participants of the group also posted tributes to the teenager.