On Thursday morning just after 1:00 A.M., emergency services received a call from a man in his 60s who was experiencing unusual body pains in one of the northern neighborhoods of Jerusalem. While on the phone with the dispatch center, the man suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed.

United Hatzalah volunteer Yehuda Chaim Elbaz was sound asleep when his communications device alerted him about the emergency. Without hesitation, he got dressed and rushed to a nearby parking lot where the incident was reported to be taking place. He arrived in under 90 seconds, ready to lend a helping hand.

However, upon reaching the parking lot, Yehuda couldn’t immediately locate the patient. Undeterred, he used his knowledge of the area to his advantage and decided to check the other side of the building. It was there that he heard gasping breaths, signaling someone in distress. Yehuda hurried towards the sound and found a man lying on the ground between two cars.

Yehuda acted swiftly, checking for a pulse and providing the precise location to his fellow responders. Unfortunately, the man had no pulse, so Yehuda wasted no time in initiating CPR. Soon after, more first responders, including a United Hatzalah ambulance team, arrived at the scene. They quickly attached a defibrillator and began providing assisted ventilation using a bag-valve mask.

With coordinated efforts, two shocks were administered, and after approximately 6 minutes, the man’s pulse and breathing were restored. An intensive care ambulance arrived several minutes later to transport the patient to the hospital for further treatment.

Reflecting on the incident, Yehuda expressed his emotion, saying, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to save someone’s life, it’s incredibly moving to see someone lifeless and bring him back to life. Knowing the area well was crucial in reaching the scene and finding the exact location quickly, and that’s what United Hatzalah is all about.”

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