A United Hatzalah paramedic who happened to be on tiyul at Ein Gedi last week helped save the life of Shmuel Vaknin, a yeshiva bochur who was in serious condition after suffering from heat stroke while hiking.

On Monday, the paramedic, Chemi (Nechemia) Trachtenberg, a soldier in the Chareidi Chetz company in the Paratroopers Brigade, came to visit the bochur along with two of his friends who were with him on the tiyul and had helped him treat the bochur.

Chemi said: “Shmuel didn’t recognize us – he was wondering why complete strangers were visiting him. I told him that I know him very well – we worked hard for a half hour to save him until he was evacuated by a Unit 669 helicopter. Baruch Hashem, Shmuel is okay now – it’s simpy a neis.”

“I explained to him what happened and he was very moved. It’s a great zechus to save a life,” Chemi concluded.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)