Thursday, September 4, 2008

Training to Save...Saves Lives

This is a wonderful news story which shows the incredible bravery and quick-thinking instincts of many of Israel's rescue teams. This story is so Israel!

According to YNET:

A team of Israeli firemen performing rescue drills in France saved the life of a local girl found drowning in a river Wednesday. The firemen rushed to pull her out when the kayak in which she was paddling turned over in the water. The men are in France conducting drills focusing on rescue missions in water and high places. They arrived at the Mieux River to practice in its strong current; however the practice soon became a reality.

"We were on the river bank preparing for water rescue. The current was strong, and families were paddling it in kayaks, one of which held a 10-year old girl," Oren Shishatzki, of the Petah Tikva fire station said.

Suddenly the firemen noticed that the girl had turned over, and that her head was in the water below the kayak. The strong current pushed her towards the rocks near the bank.

The Israeli firemen did not lose their cool, however, and rushed to her aid. "Two immediately jumped in and swam to the overturned kayak," Shishatzki said. "The kayak couldn't be righted, so they dove under the water, released the girl, and pulled her out onto the bank."

The girl emerged unscathed, and thanked the firemen for saving her life. "She was
surprised and wouldn't stop thanking us," Shishatzki recalled.

Pictures of the life-saving event can be found at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3591889,00.html

No comments: