IDF reserve officer dies during military run

Medical teams unable to revive Elhanan Brezler, 36, who collapsed after training exercise

By Judah Ari Gross 21 March 2017, 10:08 pm

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Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.

Illustrative: Golani Brigade soldiers participate in the Golani Brigade Race on April 26, 2015. (IDF Spokesperson/Flash90)

A reserve officer in the IDF died Tuesday during a military led race through the Jordan Valley, the army said.

The officer collapsed after the run, which according to the Hebrew-language Ynet news site, was part of a “sea-to-sea” run from the Dead Sea to the Sea of Galilee by way of the Jordan Valley.

Medical teams called to the scene were unable to revive him and pronounced him dead.

The IDF identified him as 36-year-old Captain (res.) Elhanan Brezler from the northern town of Katzir.

An undated photo of IDF Captain (res.) Elhanan Brezler who died following a training exercise on March 21, 2017. (IDF)

Brezler will be buried at the Haifa military cemetery on Wednesday afternoon. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Head of the Central Command Maj. Gen. Roni Numa called for an investigation into the incident, appointing Col. Kfir Cohen to lead the probe.

In addition, the IDF Military Police opened its own investigation, the army said.

Last March, Givati Infantry Brigade soldier Yehuda Suisa collapsed and died during a workout session in his unit’s training base near the Egyptian border.

In the wake of that incident, then-head of the army’s 162nd Armored Division Brig.-Gen. Nadav Padan called off all “intensive activities” until an initial investigation could be conducted.