Teen rescued after falling into Herzliya sinkhole

17-year-old lightly injured and taken for medical treatment after he was extracted at 2 a.m.; concerns of flooding in coastal areas as harsh winter weather sweeps the country

A 17-year-old boy was lightly injured after he fell into a sinkhole near a building site in the coastal city of Herzliya early Friday morning.

A spokesperson for Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services said forces were called to rescue the teenager at around 2 a.m.

“Immediate contact was made with the trapped person who was fully conscious and felt well,” the spokesperson said. The team that reached the scene first gave the trapped boy a helmet to ensure his safety in case of further collapse during the rescue.

Forces rescue a teenager who fell into a sinkhole in Herzliya on February 19, 2021 (Israel Fire and Rescue Services)

After the rescue, the teenager was found to be lightly injured and was taken for medical treatment.

The incident came as rainstorms battered the country in a storm that started Wednesday morning, bringing snow to parts of the country’s north as well as Jerusalem and its surrounding areas.

Some northern areas saw as much as 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) of snow accumulating.

There were some concerns of flooding in coastal and desert areas on Friday.

The Nature and Parks Authority warned of flooding in riverbeds and around streams and told Israelis to avoid those areas on foot and in cars.

After the country went through its wettest November since 1994 last year, this winter has been mostly sunny and unseasonably warm, with occasional rainstorms.

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