16-Year-Old Yehonatan Klimian Dies in Keshat Cave Spelunking Accident

Yehonatan (Tony) Ephraim Klimian, a 16-year-old yeshiva student from Katzrin, tragically died in a spelunking accident at Keshat Cave in the Western Galilee on Sunday. Yehonatan fell approximately 35 meters while rappelling with his family, sustaining severe injuries that led to his death despite prolonged resuscitation efforts at the scene. Rescue teams, including the elite Unit 669 and police rescue volunteers, faced challenging terrain and had to use complex methods to reach and evacuate him. Paramedics Mimon Gabay and Ligel Dror descended by rappelling to provide advanced medical treatment but ultimately declared him dead at the site. The Katzrin local council and his yeshiva, Chispin, mourned his untimely passing, emphasizing that he died during a trip he loved in the country he cherished. The rescue operation lasted several hours due to the difficult location and terrain before Yehonatan's body was recovered and handed over to his family.