Israeli Father Dies Saving Son Who Fell Into Slovenian River

An Israeli man, Gil Hallel, 44, from Kibbutz Yizrael, died during a family trip in Slovenia after falling into a ravine while attempting to rescue his seven-year-old son. The incident occurred on Saturday when the boy slipped and fell into a river, sustaining injuries from rocks. Hallel reportedly lost his footing and fell while trying to save his son. The boy suffered a broken leg and bruises but is expected to recover and has been airlifted to a hospital.

Hallel, who studied agricultural engineering at the Technion, was described by his brother, Ben, as a devoted father whose children were his top priority. He was known for his willingness to help others and his physical strength. His brother expressed profound grief, stating, "It's hard for me to believe I won't hear his calm, reasoned voice again... that I won't be able to hug him again."

Gil Hallel's wife, Rotem, shared a final selfie of them on Facebook, expressing her devastation and longing for her husband. She wrote, "I want your hug. The one I relax into and my breathing changes. I'm waiting for you to come out from hiding and for this nightmare to end. I'm not ready to talk about you in the past tense. You are my home."

She also spoke of the difficulty of grieving while caring for their injured son, adding, "I can't even allow myself to mourn you because there is a 7-year-old boy fighting to recover, and soon I will have to tell him that Dad's hug, which he also wants, won't come."