Thursday evening saw two drownings happen at hotels where EMTs happened to be vacationing. The first incident occurred at the David Dead Sea Resort and Spa located at Ein Bokek when a five-year-old boy drowned in the pool.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Chani Carmel who was also vacationing at the pool responded to the emergency and began treating the boy. “I was staying at the hotel, while on vacation when I suddenly heard shouts that someone was in need of help,” Chani said. “I rushed over and was told that a five-year-old boy had drowned in the pool of the hotel. I treated the boy and helped stabilize his condition, after which he was transported via ambulance to the hospital for further care. The boy is in moderate condition.”

A second incident also occurred on Thursday, this time in Crete. United Hatzalah paramedic Ami Tarbas was vacationing with his family at the Stella Palace Resort and Spa. is family was just heading back to their rooms when they heard a commotion by the pool and people screaming.

“We had just finished dinner and were passing by the pool on the way to our rooms when we heard the commotion and saw a bunch of people huddled together near one of the bars in the pool,” Tarbas said. “I went over to see what was happening and suddenly found myself doing compressions on a middle-aged man who was pulseless. I asked one of the bartenders to call for an ambulance and get me a defibrillator. After two shocks the person’s pulse came back and they were transported to the hospital for further care.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)