On Tuesday afternoon, three teens who were riding a rubber dinghy were pulled out to the middle of the Kinneret by the undertow. The incident took place near the Golan beach on the eastern side of the Kinneret. According to the command center of the unified cities of the Kinneret, the three teens were pulled to one of the deepest parts of the lake and were unable to return under their own strength.
Eliav Amar, a lifeguard who works at the nearby Dugit Beach, spotted the teens in distress and rushed to their rescue on a jetski. After he succeeded at reaching the teens, he returned them to the beach with the help of the jetski. Thanks to Amar’s efforts, the three teens were unharmed during the incident and returned healthy to the shore.
A spokesperson from United Hatzalah’s maritime rescue unit on the Kinneret Aharon Ovadia said regarding the incident, “Every year during the summer, United Hatzalah volunteers respond to hundreds of water-related emergencies during the summer weeks of Bein HaZmanim. As the height of summer vacation begins, with almost all schools and institutions on seasonal break, United Hatzalah issued safety instructions related to water safety. We urge the public to follow a few simple rules and guidelines, and by doing so, avoid a possible disaster such as being dragged out to the middle of the lake or sea and possibly drowning.”
Below are the instructions issued by United Hatzalah:
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Swimming is permitted only in the areas around declared beaches, exclusively during lifeguarding and rescue service hours.
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Children must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult while swimming or even playing near the water.
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Pay attention to deep steps and height changes on and near beaches.
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On the Kinneret, be cautious of the undercurrent that pulls swimmers away from the shore and out into the lake. Swimming against this current can be very tiring and may cause swimmers to tire and drown. It is best to stay close to shore.
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On all beaches, be cautious of strong winds, from the early afternoon hours to the evening hours and sunset. These strong winds produce strong currents that can pull swimmers away from the beach.
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Be wary of strong currents while using inflatable devices such as tubes and beds. It can be just a matter of minutes until one is carried far away from the shore.
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Drowning can happen anywhere, especially with small children. Parents, please be extra careful with watching children around any body of water, be it a pond, a bucket of water, a bathtub, a pool, or a beach. Please do not use cell phones when children under your care are in the water.
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If you stumble upon a medical emergency either drowning or otherwise, call 1221 for help. In a CPR emergency, begin chest compressions until the arrival of medical aid services.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
And so continues the traditional annual parade of yeshiva boys who are clueless about basic safety measures. Some will be saved by rescuers “b’nes” , some will die (the grandson of a famous Rosh Yeshiva just yesterday) , and many will be maimed. It’s just one of those things. No one seems to be concerned about it here. Some Roshei Yeshiva in the past, most prominently the great Gadol and Tzaddik Rav Aharon Leib Steinman zt”l, pleaded with the boys not to plan activities that they were unqualified for. Unfortunately, to no avail.
My aunt lives in Teveria for many years. She says that in the Kinneret during the afternoon hours, there is a strange current. The people of Teveria know to go swimming in the Kinneret only in the morning.