One-and-a-Half-Year-Old Baby Drowns to Death in Private Home in Ashkelon

A tragic drowning incident occurred in Ashkelon where a one-and-a-half-year-old baby drowned inside a private residence. Emergency medical teams from Magen David Adom (MDA) arrived to find the infant unconscious, without pulse or breathing. They performed advanced resuscitation efforts and rushed her to Barzilai Medical Center in critical condition. Despite their efforts, doctors at the hospital declared the baby's death.

MDA paramedic Moti Shuv and senior medics Roi Lasri and Gabriel Kotserenko described the scene, stating the infant was brought in unresponsive and that they fought to save her life en route to the hospital. This incident is part of a disturbing trend in Israel this year.

According to data from the Betrem organization for child safety, 19 children and teenagers have drowned in Israel since the start of 2026, a sharp increase from only two drownings during the same period last year. Betrem CEO Orly Silvinger emphasized that young children can drown within seconds, even in shallow water and without any calls for help. She urged parents to maintain constant, close supervision within arm’s reach and continuous eye contact.

Betrem’s data over the past five years shows that about half of the drowning victims were children aged from birth to four years old. The Ashkelon case highlights the ongoing risks of summer drownings among young children in Israel and the critical importance of vigilant supervision.