Semuc Champey, Guatemala (CC BY-SA Christopher Crouzet, Wikimedia)
An Israeli woman drowned on Tuesday while on vacation in Guatemala.
Hadas Ayash, 60, of Kiryat Tivon near Haifa, drowned while inner tubing down the Cahabón River near Semuc Champey, in a trip organized by Desert Queen, which provides group tours for women.
The group was traveling down the river in two groups, each person holding on to the person behind them. Ayash’s human chain came apart and her inner tube capsized, submerging her under the water, a member of the group told the Ynet news site.
Liron Eldar said that “it was not an extreme tour.” She added that “the emergency services treated her quickly.”
Eldar said that the group arrived in Guatemala on Saturday and began their journey to the Cahabón River on Monday.
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Hadas Ayash, 60, of Kiryat Tivon, drowned during inner tube excursion on Cahabón River in Guatemala (Courtesy/Family)
The Foreign Ministry said that the Israeli Embassy in Guatemala has been helping the family to return her body to Israel. The family requested privacy.
“We share in the family’s deep grief,” a spokesperson for “Desert Queen” said, adding that the incident is under investigation by a local team.
“The tour has been cut short and the group will return to Israel as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said.
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Semuc Champey is a natural limestone bridge stretching 300 meters over the river, with a series of pools.
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