The Sea-Bulance, the first of its kind in Israel, joined the fleet of Magen David Adom rescue vehicles last week and has already provided medical treatment for those injured in the Kinneret. The Sea-Bulance at the Kinneret enables medical treatment within the water itself, including in cases of bruises and drowning. Magen David Adom Director General Eli Bin: ” we are constantly thinking about saving lives, and with the Sea-Bulance we can provide medical treatment in water, in cases where every minute is critical”

The Magen David Adom’ Sea-Bulance, which was inaugurated last week at the Kinneret, has already been able to assist the sick and injured, including those who were treated by EMTs and paramedics on the Sea-Bulance. Those treated include a man who suffered a severe allergic reaction, a man who felt unwell, a wind surfer who was in distress while surfing, and a young woman was injured during a cruise in the Kinneret. In addition, the Sea-Bulance boat assisted in the rescue of a grandfather and his grandchildren, who were stuck in the heart of the Kinneret due to a technical malfunction in their boat. In another case, MDA EMTs and paramedics assisted the marine police patrol boat in searching for a man who appeared to be drowning, near the separate beach in Tiveria.

The MDA Sea-Bulance enables the EMTs paramedics to arrive with advanced medical equipment to patients while they are still in the waters of the Kinneret, thus saving critical minutes, versus cases where the injured person receives medical treatment only when s/he reaches the shore.

Last summer MDA EMTs and paramedics treated a hundred and sixty-two people who had been rescued from the sea on beaches around the country, including seven who drowned on the shores of the Kinneret. MDA did not wait for the next event and launched the Sea-Bulance in order to save lives.

The Sea-Bulance, Whale r500 professional, which is resistant to damage that can be caused by rocks and vegetation. It reaches a speed of up to 35 knots (more than 60 KPH) and can pass from one side of the Kinneret to the other in just 10 minutes. The boat, which is designed to carry six people, has advanced medical equipment including a defibrillator, ventilation equipment, stretcher and more.

“The boat is designed to provide medical assistance to all those who need us on the beach and especially in the water, including people who drowned, who are on a boat and feel bad, or those who were injured in a vessel accident,” explains the head of MDA Immediate Response Force, Yossi Halabi “The bow of the boat opens and allows a quick and easy bringing the victim to the boat, within the water area.”

“On the Sea-Bulance, several people can be treated at the same time, with medical equipment similar to that on an MICU,” says Gil Moskowitz, MDA deputy Director General of Operations. Two to three crew members work every shift, EMTs and paramedics, and a sailor, most of them MDA volunteers in the Jordan Valley…”

Head of the Jordan Valley Regional Council and Chairman of the Association of the Cities of Kinneret, Idan Greenbaum: “The excellent collaboration between MDA and the various rescue bodies with the Jordan Valley Regional Council makes the shores of the Kinneret safe, and the swimmers are much quieter. The Sea-bulance joined the Medicycle and a wide range of rescue vehicles, which are in the hands of well-trained and experienced forces. We hope we will not need any of them this summer, but if we need them, they are in the best hands there is. ”

The boat donors, Liat and Gary Wayne: “The Kinneret in the shape of a harp gives life to its surroundings and its message is to get something good and pass it on, to give a melody to life and to give happiness to the people around you. This is for the Magen David Adom organization, which receives donations and forwards them to help people in distress, please accept our gift with joy and continue to save lives. ”

MDA Director General, Eli Bin: “In Magen David Adom we are constantly working to improve response times and arrival to patients, on land, in the air and at the sea, I thank the Jordan Valley Regional Council, the Ein Gev vacation village, and the maritime policing system for their cooperation, and of course for the dear Liat and Gary Wayne, whose donation enabled the purchase of the unique Magen David Adom boat to save lives.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)