A United Hatzalah ambucycle
A United Hatzalah ambucycleShira Herhskop

This past Friday, just after 2 p.m., a man in his 70s suddenly collapsed, lost consciousness, and stopped breathing on Karkom Street in Ofakim. Passer-bys who witnessed the man’s collapse quickly called United Hatzalah’s Dispatch and Command Center.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Avraham Sabag was at his home in Ofakim, preparing for shabbat when he was identified by dispatchers as the nearest volunteer to the scene. Arriving in less than three minutes, Avraham was the first to reach the location, and was immediately ushered by pedestrians to the unconscious man lying on the sidewalk.

A witness had started chest compressions on the man in an attempt to help him and was instantly relieved when Avraham arrived and identified himself as a United Hatzalah EMT. Avraham checked the man’s vitals and confirmed that he had no pulse.

The experienced EMT attached a defibrillator and continued compressions. When the defibrillator recommended administering a shock, Avraham did so and then continued compressions that were interspersed with an additional shock a minute later. A few minutes later an Intensive Care Unit ambulance arrived. The ICU ambulance team joined Avraham in administering two more shocks, before the man’s pulse finally returned. The team then hoisted the patient onto the ambulance bed and put him on board the vehicle for transport to the nearest hospital for further treatment and care. Avraham returned home with only minutes left before shabbat began.

Avraham is a dedicated school teacher in Ofakim, sharing a common passion for teaching and saving lives. Avraham prefers to differentiate between his two roles, and to do that, Avraham is a very active first responder during the weekends and after school hours. After returning home from his successful CPR on Friday, Avraham was out saving more lives around Ofakim later on Friday night.

“Saving a life on Shabbat or Erev Shabbat is very different from saving a life on a weekday,” says Avraham. “I feel as if I'm doing God's work on his special day of the week. It has become part of my Shabbat routine to help people, and I feel a great deal of satisfaction when I do so. Saving this man’s life just before Shabbat came in gave me a special sense of fulfillment that led me into the weekend and paved the way for more rescues over the course of the day.”