MDA ambulance near reservoir
MDA ambulance near reservoirMDA spokesperson

A 19-year old Israeli soldier, identified as Private Ilan Yankelvich z"l, drowned to death in a water reserve close to Kibbutz Kissufim near Gaza.

After Yankelvich was recovered from the water, Magen David Adom medics tried to resuscitate him, but in the end were forced to pronounce his death.

Omer Bitton, a medic who was at the scene, related: "I was at work when I received a notification from my medic phone app that someone had drowned at a water reserve close to where I was located, I rushed to the scene and found some youth, clearly distressed, standing near the water reserve. They told me that their friend had gone into the water over half an hour ago, and had still not come out.

"As we were scouring the area, firefighters arrived with special extrication equipment and, together with army forces that had also arrived at the scene, pulled the youth ashore. He showed no signs of life and, after a couple of minutes, we were forced to pronounce his death," the medic said.