Young woman dies while hiking in the Golan
National Service volunteer collapses from the extreme heat at the Zavitan River
A young woman died early Thursday afternoon, apparently of dehydration, while hiking in the Golan Heights.
Near noon, the hiker collapsed at the Zavitan River suffering violent convulsions. The 19-year-old, whose name has not yet been released, was on a year-end trip for women currently doing their National Service, an option offered to religious women in place of military service.
Paramedics were called to the scene and administered CPR to the unconscious hiker. A military helicopter was dispatched in order to evacuate the woman to a hospital, but after approximately an hour of resuscitation attempts, an army doctor who arrived with the helicopter declared her dead.
Channel 10 reported that doctors ran initial tests to determine if she died as a result of a preexisting illness, but it was decided that exhaustion and dehydration were the probable causes.
The National Service Administration released a statement on Thursday afternoon expressing sorrow over the tragic death, and asserting that according to the administration’s initial investigation, all safety procedures were followed during the hike.
According to the statement, administration director Sar-Shalom Jerby has ordered the establishment of a committee to further investigate the circumstances of the incident.
Israel is currently experiencing hotter than usual weather, with temperatures in the area of the Zavitan River this afternoon hitting approximately 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
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