Army still unsure why soldier died during drill for elite unit

Corporal Yehoshua Hefetz, the 19-year-old IDF recruit from Jerusalem who collapsed and died during an elite army unit drill Wednesday, was laid to rest Thursday afternoon at the military cemetery on Mount Herzl.

IDF officials said they were unable to determine “with certainty” the cause of Hefetz’s death. The IDF Ground Forces command and the chief medical officer launched an investigation into possible causes of his death and whether all procedures were adhered to during his trial.

Dehydration is suspected but other causes have not been ruled out.

Hefetz reportedly collapsed while running near his fellow recruits towards the end of a grueling four-day trial for entry into an elite IDF combat engineering unit, Yahalom, the IDF Spokesperson’s Office reported. Medics tried in vain to resuscitate Hefetz at the scene. He was evacuated to Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat, where he was pronounced dead.

The drill was located at an army base in the Negev Desert in southern Israel. Although Wednesday was one of the hottest days of the year so far, it was not clear that heat or exertion were unusually harsh.

Dr. Yaakov Arad, head of emergency medicine at Yoseftal Hospital, was quoted by Channel 2 News as saying that Hefetz suffered a heart attack that was most likely unpredictable — similar to the deaths of otherwise healthy athletes during sporting events.

Hefetz was drafted last year as a cook in the air force, friends said, and had pressed repeatedly for a move into a combat unit. His father died two months ago, they said, and he refused to accept any of the eased terms of service for which he was eligible as a consequence.