Scene of crash
Photo: Ruhama Biton
Tour guide: I saw bodies all over
Form hospital bed, Giora Yehiel recounts moments of horror as Russian tourists' bus dived 45-feet down off highway leading to Eilat. 'I stared telling them about the itinerary when I felt everything spinning and found myself with my head in the sand'
Giora Yehiel has been guiding groups of tourists visiting Israel
for 21 years now, but nothing prepared him for the fatal drive with the group of Russian travel agents.
"When I opened my eyes I saw bodies all around and didn't understand what was happening. I was in shock. A moment earlier everyone was laughing and we spoke, and they listened to the plans and were pleased."
"The moment I started telling them about the coming week's itinerary, I felt everything spinning around. It was dark and I found myself on the slope, with my head in the sand," he recounted.
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Yehiel was lightly injured in Tuesday's bus crash north of Eilat, which claimed the lives of 25 people.
Tour guide Giora Yehiel (L) with passenger Vladislav Gomgalav (Photo: Dudu Azoulay)
He told Ynet about the group of tourists he was only getting to know. "They were the best people, beautiful and intelligent. I took them on the bus from the airport. There were 49 of them."
He rejected the claims about the coach driver's bad temper. "He was okay the entire time. We don't have a lot of pressure at work right now. There aren't many tourists. We (the tour guide and driver) began the ride from Petah Tikva at 7:30 am and arrived at the airport at 11:30 am. He was calm the entire way."
Conflicting versions
Yehiel said that at an IDF roadblock, several minutes before the accident took place, an argument erupted between the bus driver and the driver of another bus.
He rejected Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz's claim that the accident was the result of "thuggish behavior", saying that he did not notice the drivers racing on the road or trying to overtake each other.
"At the roadblock two soldiers came up from the front door and told us we were free to go, and then the second bus came and blocked the exit route," he said. "The driver told the other driver, 'You haven't been checked yet, so why are you leaving?' We waited for the second driver to continue driving and left the roadblock."
One of the passengers, Vladislav Gomgalav, is in a hospital bed next to Yehiel. "I was traveling with four friends of mine and I'm worried. I don’t know if they're alive and what’s going on with them. I called my friends and family and asked to tell them I'm okay. My family knows I'm here."
Gomgalav promised to visit Israel again in spite of the accident, as he has yet to see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
