A 38-year-old man drowned on Wednesday in a massive flood in the northern city of Nahariya after he was washed away by floodwater while trying to save a family who were trapped inside a vehicle.
The man who was identified as Moti Ben Shabbat was reported missing in the morning hours after he fell into the water, trying to rescue passengers whose vehicle had been trapped in the floodwaters resulting from the rain. His body was recovered several hours later near the marina in the city.
According to a report on Ynet, Meir Rafael Chai Biton, a friend of Ben Shabbat’s, said that several people became trapped in a car that was stranded due to the floodwaters near the Arena mall. The pair of would-be rescuers heard the passengers screaming for help and jumped atop of the vehicle to free those trapped inside.
Biton said: “Ben Shabbat feared there was a baby in the car, because he saw a baby chair. Moti was the first one to jump inside the car to try and save the baby he believed was still inside. Once he jumped, he wasn’t seen again.”
It is believed that Ben Shabbat drowned in the strong currents of the floodwater and was washed away. His body was found two hours later on the shores of Nahariya’s Gathon stream near the city’s marina.
United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Radi Hadad who was among the first responders at the marina relayed: “When I arrived at the scene I found a man who had gone missing shortly before, I together with other EMS personnel performed CPR on the man in an attempt to resuscitate him. Unfortunately, at the end of our efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Our teams are at full readiness and will continue to respond to any and all medical emergencies throughout the area.”
Firefighters were later able to rescue the trapped family and bring them to safety.
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