Jerusalem Horror: Toddler Dies After Being Found Lifeless in Cleaning Bucket

A devastating tragedy struck the Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem on Thursday afternoon when a one-and-a-half-year-old Charedi girl lost her life in a drowning incident at her family home on Spitzer Street. The toddler reportedly lost consciousness after being found in a bucket of water, commonly referred to as a "sponga" bucket in Israel.

Emergency responders, including paramedics from United Hatzalah, rushed to the scene immediately upon receiving the distressing call. They found the young child unconscious and not breathing. Swift action was taken, and rescue teams initiated intensive life-saving measures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with chest compressions and assisted breathing.

The critical nature of her condition necessitated an immediate transfer to the hospital. The toddler was urgently transported to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in an intensive care unit, with CPR continuing throughout the journey, accompanied by a United Hatzalah physician, Dr. Daniel Shakregi.

Despite the prolonged and determined efforts of the medical teams, the doctors at the hospital were tragically unable to revive the girl and were ultimately forced to declare her dead.

Investigation Underway

The Jerusalem Police have launched a full investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the child’s death. Officers from the Lev HaBira police station were called to the home to begin clarifying the situation.

A police statement confirmed the grim details: "A short time ago, the police received a report about CPR efforts on a one-year-old toddler in her home in downtown Jerusalem. Officers from the Lev HaBira police station who were called to the scene, began to clarify the circumstances of the incident and an investigation was opened." The statement further noted the initial suspicion: "According to the initial suspicion, this is a tragic case of drowning in a ‘sponga’ bucket, and the police are now examining the course of the incident as part of the investigation."

United Hatzalah paramedics who attended the scene provided insight into the desperate efforts. Paramedics Yosef Chaim Gabay, Eliyahu Lapidot, and Yaakov Bulg recounted their arrival: “When we arrived at the scene, we noticed the girl unconscious and not breathing after, according to the family, she was found in a bucket of water. We performed prolonged CPR on her and she was evacuated in an intensive care unit accompanied by United Hatzalah physician Dr. Daniel Shakregi to the hospital while CPR continued, with her condition being classified as critical.”

The entire community is reeling from the sudden and heartbreaking loss of the toddler in this devastating domestic accident.

Separate Road Incident

The same afternoon saw a separate emergency incident involving a child pedestrian. A 7-year-old child was struck by a motorcycle on Levi Eshkol Boulevard at the corner of Eretz Chefetz. The boy sustained injuries to his head and limbs.

Rescue teams provided immediate medical treatment at the scene before evacuating him to Shaare Tzedek Hospital. Magen David Adom (MDA) reported receiving the call at 4:16 PM: “At 4:16 PM, a report was received at the MDA call center in the Jerusalem area about a child, a pedestrian, who was hit by a motorcycle on Levi Eshkol Boulevard in Jerusalem. MDA medics and paramedics are providing medical treatment and referring an 8-year-old boy to Shaare Tzedek Hospital in moderate condition with injuries to the head and limbs.” Despite the difference in the child's reported age, the boy was taken to the hospital in moderate condition.