Father and Six Children Found Safe After Search in Nahal Gov

A father and his six children, ages 9 to 19, had been missing since midday after setting out on a hike in Nahal Gov in the Arava. The family managed to update the mother, who had remained at home, that they were struggling to continue because of the extreme heat and hoped to complete the route within about half an hour. But contact with them was lost after that message, and the mother alerted volunteers from the Arava Rescue Unit, who launched a large-scale search operation in the area. <\/p>

According to a report from the Arava Rescue Unit: "We reached the family; everyone is with us. They are very exhausted, but in good condition. In a moment, they will get into an air-conditioned vehicle, drink water, and receive treatment. A Magen David Adom ambulance is on its way here and will meet us. The family members will be examined, and it will be decided whether they need to be evacuated for further treatment."<\/p><\/p>

Earlier, according to the report provided to the rescue unit, the father and his six children left their home in the community of Ir Ovot at 8:00 a.m., equipped with water, hats, and hiking shoes. The mother, who did not join the hike, remained in touch with the family by text message throughout the morning.<\/p>

The first update came at 9:30 a.m., when the family texted the mother that they had begun walking the trail. About two hours later, at 11:30 a.m., they sent another message describing their condition in light of the weather. In the message, they wrote that they were "exhausted from the extreme heat and hope to finish the route within half an hour."<\/p>

No further sign was received from the family after that message, and all attempts to contact them were unsuccessful. The mother then decided to call the Arava Rescue Unit, which began search operations immediately upon receiving the report.<\/p>

Volunteers from the Arava Rescue Unit were dispatched to Nahal Gov, while unit teams from the communities of Hatzva and Idan quickly headed to the scene. To make the ground search more efficient, the forces were divided into two groups: one began searching from the upper part of the streambed, while the other entered the area from the bottom of the streambed, with the goal of scanning the route simultaneously from both directions.<\/p>