Israeli Father Dies Saving Son Who Fell Into Slovenian Gorge

An Israeli man, 44-year-old Gil Hillel from Kibbutz Yizrael, died Saturday during a family trip in Slovenia when he fell into a gorge while attempting to rescue his 7-year-old son. The boy had slipped and fallen first, sustaining serious injuries. He was airlifted to the University Medical Center in Ljubljana.

The tragic incident occurred near the Savica Waterfall in the Bohinj region of northwestern Slovenia. According to Kranj district police, the family had stopped in a rest area during their return from the waterfall. The boy wandered away from the family and his cries were heard shortly after. Hillel immediately went to investigate and fell into the ravine while searching for his son.

Rescue forces located Hillel in the Savica River canyon with severe injuries, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. His son was also found in the canyon, critically injured, and received initial treatment before being evacuated by helicopter. Several members of the GRS Bohinj mountain rescue service, who were training nearby, were able to quickly reach the scene. They worked with the Bohinj mountain rescue team to prepare the father and son for extraction.

The rescue call was received around 6 p.m., initially reporting only the child's fall. It was only upon arrival that rescuers realized the father had also fallen. They descended approximately 60 meters into the river canyon. Hillel's body was recovered from the steep terrain using ropes after his son was airlifted to the hospital.

The local rescuers expressed their condolences to the family and wished the boy a swift recovery, hoping he and his family could one day cope with the tragedy. Slovenian police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances of the accident and will submit a report to the district prosecutor's office upon completion.