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Elite unit captain dies following mysterious collapse
Soldiers in elite unit left reeling after 22-year old captain collapses, dies at assembly. 'It is a real mystery, a great loss' his soldiers say
An IDF captain who served as deputy commander in an IDF elite unit collapsed Sunday at the unit's base at Tel Nof. A short time before his collapse the captain, Tal Omri, had complained of sudden headaches. A nearby medical team provided initial care after which he was evacuated to the Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, where he was pronounced dead.
The 22-year old officer's death left the unit soldiers reeling with shock as Tal was a young man with no known previous medical problems. An IDF Spokesman stated that the incident occurred as Tal was arriving for a unit assembly and added that he wasn't taking part in any event demanding physical at the time of the collapse.
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Tal will be buried at the final resting place he chose for himself – he had told his family that if something were to happen to him during his military service he wished to be buried at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem. His final wish will be fulfilled on Monday.
Sunday afternoon saw many friends ad family gathering at the Omri family home to offer their condolences. Later, Tal's army friends also arrived, dressed in their uniforms they tried to cheer up and support the mourners.
Soldiers who knew the officer said that he stood out in the unit. He had previously served as team leader and later served as deputy commander of a company in training.
His friends also noted that the collapse happened out of the blue and took seconds. "It is a real mystery", they said "but mainly it is a great loss for us."
Tal is survived by his perents Eyal and Shlomit, and two siblings: Shahar (27) and Tom-Li (14). His funeral will take place on Monday at 2:00 pm.
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