Deep in the Bat Shlomo forest, Amotz had been resting near his tent, when a snake slithered onto him and sank its fangs into his arm. “My hand felt like it was burning,” recalled Amotz. “When I jumped up, the snake dropped off. For several seconds we stared at each other, a frozen moment between us, until my friends rushed over and it slithered away.”
When paramedic Bar Saban was dispatched to the campsite, she knew she had to reach Amotz quickly. “With venomous snakebites, the body can develop severe anaphylaxis, potentially causing tracheal swelling that blocks airflow to the lungs, resulting in death within minutes.”
Saban’s team’s challenge in helping Amotz was his location: he was camping deep in forested, rocky terrain with no vehicle access. The crew had to park and trek for approximately 20 minutes into the wilderness, carrying all of their medical equipment by hand.
As soon as the medics reached Amotz, they recognized how critical his condition was. After standard intubation procedures were unsuccessful, Saban and her team performed a rare surgical resuscitation intervention right in the forest.
The team requested backup from an IDF helicopter, and the IDF’s tactical rescue unit airlifted Amotz to the hospital in serious condition, under anesthesia and mechanical ventilation.
Two days later, Amotz regained consciousness in the hospital and Saban and the MAGEN DAVID ADOM team paid him a visit there. “There were moments in the field when we weren’t certain you’d make it,” they told him.
Amotz reflected, “coming so close to death changed my perspective on everything.”
“Thank you so much,” he said to the team. “You’re incredible. I know you’ll continue only doing good.”