Family Trapped Four Hours in Flooded Tunnel Near Maale Adumim Rescued by Police

A family from Maale Adumim was trapped for four hours inside their car in a tunnel flooded by sudden heavy rains on August 15. Despite the intense summer heat across Israel, the tunnel completely flooded in the afternoon, leaving the family stranded and in need of urgent assistance. The father recounted to N12 that the water reached the car windows and that the family endured the ordeal until police arrived to rescue them through the car windows. The father criticized the tunnel's poor drainage maintenance, noting that clogged drainage holes worsened the flooding and that a municipal worker attempted to clear the blockage with a stick, describing the situation as "like the Stone Age."

Daniel Israel, head of investigations at the Shalem police station, who was present at the scene, described the rescue operation as a life-threatening situation. Police cautiously entered the flooded tunnel with a jeep, reached the submerged vehicle, and helped the family climb onto the car roof and then onto the police vehicle’s hood. Officers used a safety net attached to the car window to secure the family during the extraction, carefully reversing the vehicle to bring them to safety. After the rescue, the father sent his wife and child home due to her severe stress from the incident.

The event was notable for its rarity, with over 25 millimeters of rain falling in August, an unusual occurrence that has happened only three times before. The incident highlights concerns about infrastructure maintenance and emergency preparedness in the area. The family’s experience underscores the dangers posed by sudden floods even during typically dry summer months in Israel.