ATV driver swept away in flash flood found safe after hours-long search
Rescue crews locate man who was separated from his group while off-roading in the Zin Valley
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An ATV driver who was swept away by flash flooding in southern Israel was found by search and rescue crews Friday evening after an hours-long search.
Police said a handful of ATV drivers was caught in the path of a flash flood while off-roading in the Zin Valley on Friday afternoon. The drivers managed to escape the water except one, who was separated from the others.
When he didn’t show up at the pre-determined meeting point, the group called police.
An army helicopter joined search and rescue police units and local volunteers looking for the driver.
He was found uninjured Friday evening after a seven-hour search.
Like much of Israel, the Negev has been battered by unseasonable rains and lethal flooding since Wednesday.
On Thursday, 10 students were killed by flash floods while on a hike south of the Dead Sea. The trip to the Tzafit River went ahead despite warnings of life-threatening weather conditions.
Police have opened an investigation into the tragedy. The director and tour guide of the Bnei Zion pre-military academy that organized the hike have been arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide.
Police said a search for a driver whose vehicle was found flooded and abandoned near the Dead Sea on Friday would resume on Sunday.
The Times of Israel Community.