The testimony of one of the youths who survived being swept away in a flash flood yesterday (Thursday) in Nahal Tzafit in the Judean Desert provides a glimpse into the horrors of the disaster which caused the deaths of ten teenagers.
"I saw people floating," said the boy who was treated at Soroka Hospital. "I did not know if they were alive or if what I saw were bodies."
Nissim, the father of the boy, told News 2 that "I have a lot of difficult questions, but this is not the time to ask them. My condolences to those fathers and mothers who have lost what is dear to them."
His son had gone on the ill-fated hike carrying a large jerrycan filled with water. "At one point there was a wave of water about 3-4 meters high," the boy told his father. "I held one of my friends firmly on the right side of my body. It was hard for me to maneuver because the jerrycan made it hard for me."
"It was a strong current that we couldn't handle," added the son. "She was dragged away from me right before my eyes. What happened? Where is she? I saw people floating. Are they alive or was I seeing corpses?' the son asked, still unaware that his friend had been killed.
According to the father, the hike was originally supposed to take place in the Jerusalem area, but was changed at the last minute. "I knew that the son was going on a trip but they told me that they had stopped in the Jerusalem area. Then they sent me a message that because of the weather they were changing direction to the Ze'elim area, which was considered safe, and that is why they were going there."