Rescue gone awry: Man falls to death from medevac Wadi Ara youth ventures into minefield in northern Israel, wounded by blast. Subsequent rescue attempt goes wrong as airlift fails, man falls from helicopter An Israeli man sustained severe injuries Wednesday after venturing into a minefield located near the northern Israeli city of Beit She'an.
Massive Police and Magen David Adom emergency services were called to the scene, as well as an Air Force medevac meant to airlift 24-year old Alaa Agabriya to the nearest hospital.
Medical teams spent 90 minutes making their way through the minefield in order to administer first aid. Once they ascertained the victim had lost his foot to the blast and stabilized him, he was strapped to the medevac's gear and airlifted off the field.
According to reports, at this point the rescue took a dreadful turn, as the injured man somehow slipped from the straps, fell to the ground from a substantial altitude, and suffered critical injuries.
The Beit She'an Police launched an investigation as to how the man, a resident of Wadi Ara, came to enter the minefield in the first place, since the area is surrounded by a fence and clearly marked to ward people off.
An initial investigating revealed that Agabriya, of the Wadi Ara village of Mushreife, arrived with two of his friends on the premises with the intention of holding a picnic. The three ignored the warning signs posted near the field and ventured in. Several minutes later an explosion took place, injuring one.
Mass emergency forces were immediately dispatched to the area, but were unable to attend to the wounded man as he was several hundred yards inside the minefield.
According to medical personnel present at the scene, MDA paramedics were speaking to Agabriya while they were waiting for clearance to enter the area.
A police sapper was able to make his way through the minefield. The medevac arrived at the scene by this time, and Agabriya was strapped to the appropriate gear and airlifted away. Several minutes later, he fell.
According to police officials he was rushed to the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa in critical condition and later died of his wounds.
NIS 2M for family of youth killed in helicopter rescue op Government has reached compromise to compensate family of Alaa Agabriya, who was rescued by helicopter from mine field only to fall to his death It was one of the most horrific and widely documented deaths in Israel in recent years: Alaa Agabriya, who was wounded in a minefield and had to be rescued by helicopter, slipped and fell to his death. Three and a half years later, Ynet has learned that the Defense Ministry and the Northern District Prosecutor have reached a compromise to pay Agabriya's family NIS 2 million ($520,000) in compensation.
The proposal has been submitted to the Nazareth District Court. Once it is approved, the family will withdraw its original demand for NIS 4.2 million (about $1.1 million) in compensation and forgo any and all claims and demands in the case. His parents have also promised not to file any further lawsuits in the matter.
The accident took place in March 2009, when three young men found themselves in a minefield near Beit She'an while out hiking. Agabriya stepped on a mine and was badly wounded.
An IAF helicopter and a search and rescue team from the IAF's elite 669 unit were scrambled to the scene. A soldier rappelled down and tied the wounded Agabriya to himself. The two were raised back up, but moments before Agabriya was moved into the helicopter itself, he slipped and fell. He was declared dead at Rambam Hospital in Haifa.
