A family hike ended in tragic circumstances when a father of ten from Modiin Illit was found lifeless in Nachal Yitav in the Jordan Valley in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

A father from Modiin Illit, his father, a 65-year-old resident of Jerusalem, and four cousins, had embarked on a hike on Tuesday afternoon. When the grandfather began feeling unwell, the father and his two nephews, both 13, split from the other family members in order to seek help since there was no phone reception in the area. However, they apparently got lost and the father eventually collapsed from dehydration. His nephews continued on, hoping to reach a place with cell phone reception so they could call for help.

Meanwhile, as it became dark and their relatives weren’t answering the phone, family members called the police. About 100 volunteers from the Megillot, Shomron, and Binyamin Brigade rescue units launched a search on Tuesday evening, assisted by a police helicopter and military helicopter.

The grandfather and two of his grandsons, ages 12 and 13, were found by rescue units at about 10:30 p.m. in light condition. The two nephews who had gone with their uncle to find help were found at about an hour later, also in light condition due to exhaustion and slight dehydration. The children said they hadn’t seen their uncle in six hours.

Sadly, the uncle who had become dehydrated hours earlier, was found lifeless at about 1 a.m. His death was determined at the scene by a doctor from the 669 rescue unit.

The niftar was later identified as Reb Binyamin Praga, z’l, 44, a much-beloved mechaneich and administrator at Talmud Torah Medrash Meir in Modiin Illit. Tragically, the niftar’s brother passed away exactly 23 years ago – also on Tu B’Av – when he drowned to death while on a hike in Nachal Yehudiya in Ramat HaGolan. And the family was also suffered a tragedy last Av, when the niftar’s nephew, a baby, drowned to death in a private pool while the family was on vacation.

The niftar’s levaya began at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday on Rechov Shamgar in Jerusalem and he was buried at Har HeMenuchos. Yehi Zichro Baruch.

This was the second rescue operation to take place in Nachal Yitav in the past week.
The commander of the Megillot rescue unit Matan Moraud reminded the public about safety procedures for a safe hike in the desert: “Water (about 5 liters per person per day), good walking shoes, a hat, long clothing, prior familiarization with the terrain, adapting the route to the physical ability of the hikers, and leaving a message about the expected end of the hike at an external party. In any case of distress, call the hotline 100.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)