Hatzolah volunteers at Bondi Beach. Photo: Crownheights.info.
A Jewish-run emergency response group helped save the lives of two Indonesian Muslim teenagers who almost drowned at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Tuesday, according to media reports from Australia.
Six Hatzolah volunteers arrived at the beach less than two minutes after receiving a call about the teenagers, both 16. Mendy Litzman, founder and president of Hatzolah in Sydney, told the Australian Jewish News that the boys were not breathing when they were pulled out of the water by lifeguards.
One teen was taken to Westmead Children’s Hospital and confirmed to be in serious but stable condition while the other was transported to St. Vincent’s Hospital in an unknown state of health, the UK’s Daily Mail reported.
“We assist everyone regardless of religion, race or gender, and I’m proud that we were able to help the teenagers [who] were plucked from the surf,” Litzman said.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the teens were visiting Australia as part of a group of seven Indonesian students on a two-week school trip. During the group’s visit to the beach, the two teenagers were hit by a large wave and disappeared under the water. Their five classmates rushed to try to save them, but they were also dragged out to sea by the strong surf. All seven were rescued by Bondi lifeguards and treated by paramedics. The five students who attempted to save their friends were taken to Prince of Wales Children’s Hospital as a precaution.
Police said officers were conducting inquiries into the “near-drowning.” Inspector Norm Spalding, from the NSW Ambulance, said, “When you put young people who don’t swim very well together with water, and the surf’s a little bit bumpy today at Bondi, you’ve always got potential for an incident like this.”
Watch Hatzolah volunteers helping the teens below:
Source:: The Algemeiner
