On Sunday evening just before the first night of Chanukah began, Israel saw it’s first Chanukah miracle for this year.

United Hatzalah and Magen David Adom emergency medical services answered a call in Bnei Brak where an old man had lost consciousness in his home on Breslov Street. When the EMTs arrived they discovered that the man had a blocked airway and had choked on what appeared to be a piece of a sufganiya and had collapsed as a result asphyxiation.

The EMTs began performing CPR while attempting to dislodge the blockage from the man’s airway. After a few minutes and a few attempts to dislodge the piece of jelly donut, the EMTs succeeded at extracting the blockage and the elderly man’s pulse and breathing returned.

The patient was transported to the hospital for further care and observation after regaining full consciousness.

United Hatzalah chapter head in the city Ephraim Feldman said: ” This is a true Chanukah miracle. The EMTs treated the man and performed CPR according to protocol. They succeeded in removing the blockage and saved this man’s life. The speed at which the volunteers responded and the quality of care they provided were the two things that mattered most. Our volunteers are always in service and are at the ready to assist anyone in need of medical assistance throughout the holiday.”

Magen David Adom paramedic Tzvika Gedolivitz said: “I was driving my car together with my brother Avi down the street when we received the alert on our phone application. We rushed over to the location and saw a 95-year-old man who was unconscious. While we were taking an oral history we were told that he had choked on a sufganiya.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)