Last week, during the Passover break, yeshiva student Shmuel Vaknin, 20, suffered a heat stroke while hiking in Nahal Arugot at the Ein Gedi Reserve near the Dead Sea. The young man was in serious condition in an area that is difficult to access, and his friends alerted emergency services.
Military EMT and United Hatzalah volunteer Chemi Trachtenberg, who happened to be hiking in the same area, was alerted by United Hatzalah’s Dispatch and Command Center, which set up a conference call between Trachtenberg and Shmuel’s friends to determine their precise location, and the EMT ran about half a mile uphill to reach the victim.
Arriving in just a few minutes, Trachtenberg moved Shmuel under a shade and poured water on him. After reporting to the dispatch that a helicopter was needed to evacuate the patient as soon as possible, he monitored Shmuel’s vital signs and made sure his airways remained open. A helicopter from the IDF 669 Rescue unit arrived at last and evacuated Shmuel to the hospital.
On Monday, Trachtenberg, who serves as combat EMT in the Haredi company of the IDF’s Paratroopers Brigade, visited Shmuel in his hospital room together with two of Shmuel’s friends who accompanied him on the hike and provided their friend with initial assistance.
“It’s a miracle that he came out of this alive,” said Trachtenberg after the visit. “When we entered the room, at first Shmuel didn’t recognize us. I told him that I knew him very well, having worked on him for half an hour to save his life. Thank God, he is now alive and well. I recounted what had happened to him and he was very moved. It’s a great privilege to save a life.”
One of the friends said: “Shmuel was really moved to see us. We wished him a full recovery and he thanked us for being there at the right time. He called on all of the yeshiva students who go on hikes to abide by safety recommendations, especially bringing lots of water. He expressed his appreciation to the 669 Unit that conducted the medevac and brought him to the hospital.”
