Soldier in critical condition after collapsing during run

A soldier in basic training collapsed during a run on his base in southern Israel and was flown to a nearby hospital in critical condition, the Israel Defense Forces said Monday.

Other troops at the scene gave first aid to the soldier, a recruit for the Bedouin Reconnaissance Battalion, after his sudden collapse on the military’s Har Keren Base before he was taken to Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center for further care.

“The soldier’s condition is currently critical. The circumstances of the event are being investigated,” the military said.

The soldier appears to have suffered a heart-related issue, according to the hospital.

“He is in serious condition, unconscious and connected to a respirator. He is being treated in the cardiac intensive care unit,” a hospital spokesperson said.

The incident comes roughly two months after an IDF officer, Col. Sharon Asman, collapsed while exercising and died from apparent heart failure.