Man rescued from 20-meter pit in Jerusalem building site

A man was rescued from a pit approximately 20 meters deep at a construction site on Derech Beit Lechem in Jerusalem after falling into an enclosed shaft that required complex extraction operations. He was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in critical condition.

Emergency call centers received the report and immediately dispatched firefighters from the Jerusalem District station. Upon arrival at the scene, crews discovered that the victim had fallen into an exceptionally deep pit within an enclosed space that complicated rescue efforts.

Photo: Israel Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson | Jerusalem District

Firefighters worked in coordination with the Yalam HaUmah unit, Israel Fire and Rescue Services' special rescue division. The teams used a crane that was on site to extract the man from the depth of the pit.

After complex rescue operations, firefighters succeeded in removing the man from the pit and transferred him to Magen David Adom paramedics. His condition was defined as critical, and he was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center for continued medical treatment.

Rami Meir, the incident commander, said after the rescue: "I want to emphasize the dedication and professionalism of the firefighters, who acted quickly but also with the necessary caution in a complex incident of this type. The cooperation with the Yalam fighters allowed us to operate precisely and safely, and thanks to the joint work we succeeded in completing the rescue and transferring the man to medical treatment."

Falls into pits at construction sites occur from time to time and require particularly complex rescue operations due to the depth and enclosed structure of the pits. Emergency forces work routinely to improve safety protocols at construction sites and to train teams to handle incidents of this type.