Heat stroke
Heat strokeiStock

A 55-year-old female backpacker suffered heatstroke this afternoon (Tuesday) during an excursion in Nahal Kidud near Arad.

The MDA team treated the woman and evacuated her to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva while her condition was listed as critical. She is sedated and breathing with a respirator.

MDA emergency medic Eden Milman, who was called with his crew to take care of the hiker, said: "We came with the ambulance to a lookout near Nahal Kidud and entered with medical equipment and a stretcher about a kilometer and a half into the trail.

"The woman, about 55, was warm to the touch and suffering from severe dehydration. They told us that they walked for a few hours and ran out of water," he said.

"We immediately began to give the woman medical treatment at the scene, and we took her to the gorge on a stretcher when she was consciously aware. We turned on the air conditioning in the car, cooled her down with ice and quickly evacuated her to Soroka Hospital, while she was sedated and assisted with breathing, in critical condition."

The MDA stated Tuesday that its medical teams have treated 583 people for heat-related emergencies during the current summer heat wave, including 256 people who fainted.