Navy Commander Maj-Gen Eli Marom gave his permission Tuesday for naval units to resume diving training, after consulting the special team of inquiry looking into the death of First Sergeant Gal Azulai during a training dive Sunday night.
For the time being, however, the training dives will be carried out without combat gear of the type First Sgt Azulai was wearing on his last dive. The training dives with combat gear will not resume until the team of inquiry completes its investigation of the tragedy.
First Sgt Azulai was laid to rest Tuesday in the military cemetery at Zichron Yaakov. He died after suffering distress during a dive near the port of Ashdod.
Colonel D., the commander of Shayetet 13, the naval commando unit that Azulai was training for, delivered one of the eulogies at the funeral. “You were one of the leading divers in the crew, and the sea that you loved so much took you away from us, and left us reeling in pain and shock,” he said.