Shir Bechar
Photo: Courtesy of the family
Shir Bechar identified as Israeli killed in Peru river
Family eulogizes 22-year-old daughter found after rafting accident: 'She was a volunteer, an athlete, a musician – salt of the earth.'
Shir Bechar, a 22-year-old resident of Ramat HaSharon, was identified on Sunday as one of the two Israelis killed in a river rafting accident last week in Peru.
The accident occurred on the Apurímac River, and involved eight Israelis rafting on two inflatable boats. Six were rescued from the river after the incident, while the other two were pulled into the rapids and declared missing.
Bechar's body was discovered last Thursday by helicopter searches conducted by an Israeli rescue team. On Saturday, emergency crews in Peru found the body of the 21-year-old Tel Aviv resident who was also missing after the incident.
Shir Bechar (Photo: Courtesy of the family)
The accident occurred on the Apurímac River, and involved eight Israelis rafting on two inflatable boats. Six were rescued from the river after the incident, while the other two were pulled into the rapids and declared missing.
Shir Bechar with her rafting mates
The Bechar family said their daughter Shir was "talented and qualified, loved nature and adventure; she was a social activist, an athlete, a musician – salt of the earth. She finished her army service as an officer with distinction last June after serving in a variety of roles: military intelligence, the coordinator of government activities in the territories, and officer-training school."
Shir Bechar (Photo: Courtesy of the family)
The family said that Shir "loved life and experienced great joy in recent weeks. In her too short life, Shir tried with all her might to create a better world; she touched hundreds of hearts which were left broken after her passing."
They added: "We will always remember her radiant smile, her hands – which held a guitar with every opportunity – and her expansive heart."
Survivors of the rafting accident which claimed Bechar's life told Ynet of the terrifying moments. "The guide's kayak passed and after came the boat with the tourists. Then it hit a giant rock in the river and turned 90 degrees. Four travelers fell in the water – two were rescued."
