Toddler Rescued After Choking on Sponge Piece in Bnei Brak

A toddler in the Haredi city of Bnei Brak lost consciousness and choked after swallowing a large piece of sponge. Emergency medical teams, including United Hatzalah and Magen David Adom, were dispatched to the apartment shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Upon arrival, responders found the child in a state of severe unresponsiveness, with his face turned blue due to a critical lack of oxygen. United Hatzalah paramedics Moshé Delbarian and Eliya Halevi performed life-saving maneuvers, including the Heimlich maneuver, to dislodge the foreign object from the child's airway. The sponge piece was successfully removed, and the child began breathing on his own.

Magen David Adom paramedics Eitan Englander, Michal Pless, and Yossef Pesach also assisted, confirming the object was a sponge piece that had completely blocked the child's airway. After his condition stabilized, the toddler regained full consciousness and his skin color returned to normal.

The child was transported by a Magen David Adom intensive care unit to Schneider Children's Medical Center for further treatment and evaluation. Experts are reminding parents that sponges, small toys, and similar items pose a serious choking hazard to young children, as they can easily obstruct the airway.