Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedic Shira Keidar, who was traveling on a bus when it was hit by shrapnel Tuesday, recounted the moments of terror.
Keidar's bus was hit when a barrage of missiles was launched from Lebanon towards central Israel. Three people were injured; the IDF estimates that three to five missiles were launched, some of which were intercepted.
"I was traveling on a bus with about 15 passengers, on Route 6," she began. "While we were driving, we suddenly heard an explosion, and immediately a piece of shrapnel flew through the front windshield and hit the driver. He did not lose control, and he slowly stopped on the side of the road."
After the bus stopped, Keidar immediately began administering first aid to the driver, who had suffered a hit to his head and was in moderate condition.
She recalled: "I went over to him and I saw a bleeding wound on his head. I called in MDA teams and immediately began providing him with medical aid until the teams arrived at the scene. At the same time, I calmed the passengers of the bus."
"The incident ended with a miracle - it could have ended completely differently," she noted.
The bus driver, age 54, was evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. Two others were also injured at the scene: One driver who was injured lightly after braking suddenly, and a police officer who was lightly injured while at the scene.
Hezbollah took responsibility for the launches, claiming that the missile in question was a Fadi-4, and had been aimed towards the Glilot military base.
MDA paramedic Yissachar Weiss and EMT Matan Gida said: "We arrived at the scene and we saw signs of strikes on the road, and near the road a bus was stopped on the side, with its windshields blasted due to the hit from the shrapnel."
"The driver of the bus, a man of about 54, was fully conscious and suffered an injury to his head and chest from shrapnel. It seems that the shrapnel entered through the bus' door.
"During the extraction, we provided the driver with medical treatment, and after he was extracted, we placed him on a mobile ICU and evacuated him to the hospital in stable condition. MDA teams at the scene are treating a number of shock victims. There were about 10 passengers on the bus and the incident could have ended much worse."
