The summer vacation in Eretz Yisroel is coming to an end, one which was named “the black summer” due to the staggering amount of deaths on trips and hikes.
United Hatzalah of Israel has tried to isolate the reasons for these terrible tragedies. One conclusion was very clear; that many of the hikers did not know the first thing about the potential damages and the dangers of the heat.
Many of the hikers did not bring enough water or a head covering with them. Nine hikers have died as a direct result of the lack of water. “When traveling in mid-day in hot territories such as the Dead Sea has to offer, one simply dehydrates in the heat. By the time help reaches them, there is nothing that can be done to save them” says Yerach Tocker, the head of the “Drink for Life” campaign.
In this special campaign, United Hatzalah volunteers drove down to the Dead Sea area where most of the deaths took place, and handed out hundreds of water bottles to the hikers. Each of the hikers also received a short explanation on the dangers and prevention of the hiking area.
“We found in the Yishai Mountains in the Dead Sea area three hikers walking along. All together they had with them 3 liters of water, and they were dressed with inappropriate shoes and gear for hiking, they had no hats on, and this is in the heat of 104 degrees”, says Tocker. “The hikers just didn’t understand what we wanted from them”
“We returned after 4 hours all red and exhausted from this special project, but the hikers can go at times for 8 to 9 hours in the heat, they might return with heat burns, and at times even worse. It is just crazy to travel in such weather especially without the proper gear!”
United Hatzalah summarizes the tough vacation period, after dealing with endless emergency calls around the hiking areas with many wounded and unfortunately many dead as well. And at the end of the “Drink for Life” campaign it was decided that for the coming Sukkos vacation, a country-wide campaign will be undertaken.
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15 Responses
it is a very good idea i think heare in ny hatzalah could do the same thing to be on top of things
Yeah…..cuz there are just LOADS of 130 degree temps in all those hundreds of deserts in NY.
NOT.
I am happy to hear that B”H ppl are stepping to help this crazy matziv. I spent time this summer in Israel and in those wonderful places and I did NOT have a hat on my head and I had one simple bottle of H20 in a hike by the Yam Hamelach area… Shomer pesaim Hashem but I was in the heat of the day and I barely took a sip of my water!! And I did not feel the least bit dehydrated!! Ppl really don’t realize that they are dehydrating and it’s a nes I didnt have a problem!!
One of the biggest probs I think is that Yeshivas and whatnot dont necessarily encourage tiyulim (they dont discourage them necesarily) but waht happens is that they dont really bring in the proper safety warnings b/c it’s kind of like telling the guys “go… have agood time!” and they therefore ignore it alltogether and every guy thinks he’s macho and nothings gonna happen to him and they do stupid things on trips and then we all cry when they die!!!
It’s important Bein Hazmanim that not only the yeshivos and other mosdos warn ppl the dangers but that some ppl take the responsibility in their hands to go to the places of interest and set up booths and water there along the hikes!
No but there are loads of fools who don’t know how to learn the Torah to know that hishtadlus is a chiyuv. Just like there is no more maan coming from heaven so too there is no well following us around, either, anywhere!
oh and by the way, ES49 Jack- it’s not so funny here in NY you can dehydrate to if you arent careful… it takes seichal to drink…. didnt you know???
TATTYBEAR: obviously hishtadlus is a chiyuv!!! but we are a dor of either major baalei bitachon or as you say fools that dont use our brains to capacity or a bunch of ignorant ppl who dont realize or know that
heat + no water + to much sun exposure = OUCH!!
When you have not enough awareness going on then it calls on klal yisrael to make an awareness and be there to help!!! It’s like a psn being sick and now they need s/o to nurse them back to health!!!
tattybear: i just wrote you a whole comment and it deleted but yes hishtadlus is a must but we are a dor of either balei bitachon or fools and idiots that dont necessarily use our seichal and its a sickness keilu and when there is a machala then klal yisrael has an achrayus to step in and help and prevent others from getting sick and provide awareness and help to nurse back to health.
obviously heat + no water + too much sun exposure = OUCH so lets get ppl to be more aware of it!!!
I’m a little perplexed by this. When I was in yeshivah in E”Y, we took tiyulim, and there wasn’t really any issue of make sure to drink enough. Yes they reminded us to take extra water, but they didn’t need to tell us – if you go out in 130 degree temp, in a desert, in the heat, don’t forget to drink. I always thought that just fell into the category of common sense.
Go figure.
Hello Bauer Common sense isnt that common
torahyid: ya think?!?!?
Before vacation starts for schools (late June) and bein hazamanim for bochurim (July-Aug) brochures of safety info including seat belts, dehydration, hiking advisory info, water & ocean swimming should be distributed by the mosdos, or published in the papers for parents to review with young adults before they leave. Wear proper shoes, hats, drinks, extra phone battery etc.
Wishes of hatzlacha to united hatzalah, you are providing a service that should be done by parents and schools. Tourists are usually super unprepared for Israeli hiking trails.
Remind me, exactly where in shulchan orech does it say one must go hiking when in Eretz yisrael?
Me thinks that there is a pasuk, in Ekev, ‘everywhere my foot walks in hashem’s land I am blessed’- (something like that)
Huh, and where in shulchan orech does it say on 1.chol hamoed succos families should walk through bear mountains, 2.camps should explore caverns in the Catskills, 3.bochurim should go out in motor boats in WhiteLake 4. visit Amuka in the Galile when the descent to the kever is so steep etc. etc…….
Matzalocaool? Sure u have to go on a tiyul in E.Y. Each step is a mitzvah