Soldiers in training exercise (illustrative)
Soldiers in training exercise (illustrative)Israel news photo: Flash 90

The 20-year-old IDF soldier who collapsed Sunday during a military drill is an oleh from the U.S.

The IDF notified the mother of the soldier who is scheduled to arrive in Israel today, according to Yediot Aharonot. The soldier made Aliyah a year ago and lives on Kibbutz Malkia in the north. After subsequently arriving in Israel, the soldier enlisted into the IDF and joined an elite unit in the Nachal Brigade.

The soldier is in serious condition after collapsing Sunday afternoon during a running drill with his unit. The incident occurred at a base near Beit Lid, in the Sharon area.

The soldier was given first aid on the spot and then rushed to the Intensive Care Unit in Hillel Yaffeh Medical Center in Hadera. Teams of doctors attempted to stabilize the soldier, while the IDF opened an investigation into the incident. 

The investigation is centering on whether the soldier was suffering from a condition that had not been diagnosed, or if he was dehydrated while attempting to complete the exercise on particularly hot and humid Sunday. 

There have been similar cases last year of  soldiers collapsing due to medical reasons. In April 2012, Yehoshua Hefetz died of heart complications during training in the Combat Engineering Corps School in the Negev. Two months earlier, Corporal Dvir Mor died suddenly of a infection he contracted during basic training of an elite unit in the military.