Hurricane Irene
Hurricane IreneArutz Sheva photo: Baruch Gordon

Five-year-old Reuven Herbst has died three weeks after being electrocuted in hurricane Irene in New York.

A neighbor, Rabbi David M. Reichenberg, 50, died almost instantly from electrocution after trying to rescue the boy, who had been trapped in live electrical wires that had been felled by trees toppled in the viciously high winds.

Reuven’s father Yehuda also suffered burns while trying to rescue his son. He credited Reichenberg for saving his life and that of his wife, who was beginning to reach to grab their son when Reichenberg moved the wire in an attempt to move it away from the child.

Yehuda Herbst said he was wearing rubber boots that insulated him from being struck dead by the high voltage line.

Reuven was in a burn unit at a local hospital but was unable to recover.