RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — A Jewish tourist from Brazil died while climbing Masada during a heat wave that hit Israel.
Brazilian photographer Daniel Sved, 31, collapsed outside in 107-degree heat while climbing a trail to reach the ancient Masada fortress. He died from dehydration a short time after being airlifted to a hospital in Beersheba.
Sved was part of a 20-member group called Makom that took Brazilian Jews on a three-week trip aimed at religious engagement in Israel.
Born in Rio de Janeiro and accustomed to high temperatures, Sved apparently was in good health and had drunk enough water to hit the trail, according to friends.
"We usually close the main trail during the hottest summer days; they were taking the shortest trail," Masada National Park’s manager, Eitan Campbel, told the Brazilian newspaper O Globo. "It’s always advisable to take those trails during very early morning hours and not when the sun is high."
