A British tourist drowned Tuesday after falling off a rowboat in a turbulent stretch of the upper Jordan River.
The victim, identified as Clive Max Heller, 45, of London, and his son were on an organized outing under the leadership of a presumably experienced river guide.
Their boat encountered rapids caused by the excessive flow of water from Lake Kinneret into the Jordan following a winter of abnormal rainfall that raised the level of the lake.
Heller reportedly stood up in the boat and toppled over, hitting his head on a submerged rock before being washed away.
His body was discovered Wednesday, wedged between rocks near Kibbutz Kfar Hanassi, a mile downstream. His son was treated for shock.
Police are investigating whether the outing was organized by an experienced, licensed company or a fly-by-night outfit taking advantage of the heavy influx of tourists for the Passover and Easter holidays.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
