An 88-year-old woman was declared dead on Sunday after drowning in the Dead Sea.
The woman, who was not immediately named, drowned off the Neve Zohar beach south of the Ein Bokek resort.
Paramedics administered first aid and tried to resuscitate her, without success.
Common wisdom says that it is impossible to drown in the Dead Sea because of its high salt content, which, famously, stops swimmers from sinking and enables them to float on its surface, raft-like. But the very buoyancy that attracts visitors from all over the world can turn deadly if one flips over onto one’s stomach. This is because it is difficult to get one’s head out of the water by forcing the feet down to turn back over.
Drinking the saltwater can harm the heart and kidneys.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
People float on the water in the Dead Sea, Israel, on May 27, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
In any event, experts recommend not spending more than 20 minutes in the sea for any one dip to avoid dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
The waters of the lowest place on earth saw the drownings last year of a 68-year-old Russian millionaire lawmaker, Vasily Tarasyuk, and a 68-year-old Argentinian tourist. In 2016, an 83-year-old man drowned there.
Several years ago, Yaniv Almog of the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba told the Haaretz newspaper, “It is impossible to sink in the Dead Sea and drown in the ordinary way. Most people don’t drown in it; they trip, fall and swallow the water.”
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel - and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Yes, I'll give
Yes, I'll give
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this