Search launched for father and six children missing in Negev after heat wave hike

A family from the Negev settlement of Arad has gone missing during a hiking trip in Nahal Govs (Wadi Ghuwayba) in the midst of an intense heatwave. The group, consisting of a father and his six children, last made contact at 11:30 am, sending a message saying they were exhausted from the heat and expected to complete their route within approximately thirty minutes. No contact has been established with the family since that message.

Rescue units have been mobilised to the area in an urgent search operation to locate the family. The incident highlights the dangers posed by hiking in extreme heat conditions, particularly in desert regions where temperatures soar rapidly. The Negev, Israel’s largest geographical region, experiences some of the country’s most severe heat conditions during summer months.

Authorities have not yet released further details about the specific circumstances of the disappearance or the scale of the search operation currently underway. Rescue services are treating the case with high priority given that the group includes young children.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.