Teens heard him calling

Man rescued from forest after hours trapped

Teens passing through Mevasseret Zion heard calls for help; Harel station officers located him after extensive search in wooded area near Netiv HaPortzim trail

Eliana Fleming

SEP 27, 2026 19:07

2 min read

A man who fell and became trapped in a forested area near Mevasseret Zion was rescued overnight after spending several hours in the woods, police said. Officers from the Harel station in the Jerusalem District located him following a report from teens who heard cries for help coming from the forest.

The incident began when several teens passing through the Netiv HaPortzim area reported hearing a person calling for help. According to the teens' account, the voice appeared to be coming from deep within the forest, and they suspected someone was trapped beneath a tree.

Harel station officers arrived at the scene and began extensive searches of the wooded terrain. During the search operation, they located the man inside the forested area in need of rescue.

Initial questioning at the scene revealed that the man had been walking along a trail to check access to his vehicle when he slipped and fell into the forest. He had been stuck in place for several hours, from the afternoon until officers found him in the early morning hours.

Officers safely extracted the man from the location, and he was transferred for further medical examination and treatment.

The Netiv HaPortzim area in Mevasseret Zion is known as heavily forested terrain with numerous trails, and incidents involving hikers in difficulty occur from time to time. Emergency services operate regularly to assist civilians who find themselves in distress in remote areas.