Just before 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday in Ashdod, a 70-year-old woman was discovered unconscious in her bed by her relatives who immediately dialed emergency services for assistance. Among those dispatched was Yochai Cohen, a dedicated volunteer EMT with United Hatzalah, who was on his way to work when he received the alert.

Within three minutes, Cohen arrived at the scene, ready to provide life-saving support. However, gaining access to the building proved to be a challenge, and it took some time to obtain the entry code. Once he received the code Cohen raced up to the woman’s apartment where he found her unresponsive, with no pulse and taking agonal breaths. He swiftly enlisted the help of her granddaughter to place the woman on the floor, where he began CPR.

Another first responder soon arrived, reinforcing their life-saving efforts. The EMTs took turns performing chest compressions and providing assisted breathing.

A few minutes later, an intensive care ambulance arrived at the scene, attached a monitor to the patient, and administered vital medications to stabilize her condition.

The combined team worked for an additional 18 intense minutes, to revive the woman’s vital signs, and hopefully save her life. Their combined efforts succeeded when a steady pulse returned, along with stable blood pressure. The woman was promptly transported to a medical facility for further treatment.

Expressing his emotions after the successful rescue, Cohen said, “It is a great satisfaction. To begin the day by doing a mitzvah (a positive commandment) and bringing a human being back to life is incredible and I am proud that I was able to help this woman and her family today.”