Israeli Father Dies in Slovenia While Rescuing Son From Ravine

An Israeli man, 44-year-old Gil Hillel from Kibbutz Yizre'el, died in Slovenia last Saturday while attempting to rescue his 7-year-old son who had fallen into a ravine during a family trip. Hillel was pronounced dead at the scene. His son, who sustained serious injuries, received initial treatment before being airlifted to Ljubljana University Hospital.

The incident occurred near the Slap Savica waterfall in the Bohinj region of northwestern Slovenia. Local police reported that the family had visited the site and stopped at a rest area on their way back. The boy reportedly wandered away from the group and, after his cries were heard, his father went to search for him, subsequently falling into the ravine himself.

Mountain rescue teams from Bohinj were alerted around 6 p.m. Initially informed of a child's fall, rescuers discovered upon arrival that the father had also fallen. Both were found approximately 60 meters below in the Savica River bed. Gil Hillel's body was recovered using ropes. An investigation into the exact circumstances of the accident has been opened.

Rotem Hillel, the deceased's wife, expressed her grief on social media, stating she could not fully mourn while her son fought for recovery. She described her husband as her "pillar in difficult times" and questioned her future. The brother of the deceased, Ben Alon Horowitz, remembered Gil Hillel as an athletic, handsome, funny, serious, and intelligent man, a graduate of the Technion in agricultural engineering, deeply involved in his family and kibbutz life. He was known for always being ready to physically help others out of difficult situations, a trait tragically echoed in his final moments.