A rescue helicopter was dispatched to Nachal Og in the Judean Desert Saturday in order to rescue a father and son, 11, who were swept away in the sudden current as rains inundated the usually dry riverbed.
The pair spent two hours in the cold water and were suffering from hypothermia when they were transferred to Hadassah Mount Scopus Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Rescue footage
(צילום: משטרת ישראל, יחל"צ מגילות, כב"ה מחוז יו"ש)
A rescue team rappelled down ropes to reach the boy in the water, and then extricated the father, who was located 30 meters away on the other bank.
"The rescue crew saved me and my son's life," said Oren Carmel, the father, from Modi'in. "They did a wonderful job… The whole time I knew that I have to watch out for my son so we can survive. They also found our backpack that we were earlier forced to dispose of. They contacted my wife and updated her. It was tough… Now we just want to rest."
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced that the pair entered the water channel against explicit instructions issued to the public and endangered their lives—as well as those of the rescue team. Another four thrill seekers were found upriver and rescued as well as crews searched the length of the stream for others.
On happier terms, Israelis flocked to sites of water and snow Saturday leading to heavy congestion in the Golan Heights, especially leading up to Mount Hermon where it seemed that staff underestimated the amount of expected visitors. By 1:30pm, the site had been closed to visitors due to overcrowding.
The snow-capped mountain attraction was open free to visitors as conditions are not yet ripe for skiing and snowboarding. Many Israelis took advantage over the weekend and management advised the public that all are welcome throughout the coming week when crowds are expected to decrease and "there is enough snow for all."
The short but intense weather system also brought much needed rain to fill the many streams in the north of the country, after a long dry spell. Streams throughout the Judean and Negev deserts were replenished as well.
Police vehicle caught in flood
Residents from Arad reported that the many streams surrounding the generally parched city had been filled with flowing water. Revelers should be cautious, though, and stick to designated trails and not climb the cliffs near the waterfalls.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority reported that 30,000 visitors visited national parks and nature reserves over the weekend; in addition to the many adventurers who set out on 4x4 vehicle to watch the desert streams flood with rain runoff from the highlands.
For the first time this winter, the dams in the Menashe Highlands were opened to catch the rain water flowing down the hillsides. Over 300,000 cubic meters of water was captured and added to the natural aquifers for domestic water consumption. The water is filtered as it trickles down through the soil. Additional facilities in the south captured water for agricultural use.
Due to the storm, plane turns around back to Cyprus
A Ryanair flight from Baden-Baden to Ovda (Eilat) Airport changed plans mid-flight and landed at Ben Gurion Airport due to weather conditions. Another flight from Larnaca Cyprus to Tel Aviv decided to abort and return to Cyprus because of the storm.