2nd Fireman Dies from Sunday's Pit Rescue

Around 1 PM Sunday afternoon the Israel Fire and Rescue Department answered a call to save a 20-year-old man who fell into a pit about 8 meters deep (27 feet) in Deir al-Asad, an Arab town in the Galilee. Teams from the special rescue unit of the Karmiel fire station arrived on the scene within a short time and began a rescue operation. Upon the teams’ arrival, two fire fighters entered the pit, but during the rescue operations contact was lost with them.

Additional teams were sent to rescue the two firefighters. All three men were pulled out of the pit, but in critical condition.

Firefighter Adnan Asad, age 40, died that day, as did the initial victim who fell into the pit.

On Tuesday morning, firefighter Dekel Yehuda Marciano, age 33, who had been fighting for his life in the hospital also passed away.

It is believed that the pit was full of poisonous fumes.

Content from JNS was used in this report.