A Miracle in the Water: Eitan Asraf’s Near-Death Story

About two weeks ago, news outlets reported a dramatic incident: two paragliders had crashed into a water reservoir near Kibbutz Revadim. Eitan Asraf was one of them. He had planned to fly, take beautiful photos, and return home as usual. But Hashem had other plans.

“We took off from the Latrun area and were in the air for about an hour,” Eitan recalled. “It was amazing. We laughed, talked, enjoyed the view, and everything seemed perfect. But then, right over the water reservoir near Kibbutz Revadim, the engine suddenly stopped. In a split second, we were hanging between heaven and earth.”

The pilot, who also happened to be named Eitan, tried to land them safely. But within moments, both men crashed straight into the reservoir filled with recycled wastewater.

“Everything happened so fast,” Asraf said. “I sank to the bottom, and even though my eyes were open, I couldn’t see a thing. I tried to swim up, to escape the darkness, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t breathe. I thought I was going to die.”

What went through your mind at that moment?

“I was sure that this was the end. And as a Jew who believes in Hashem, I silently said ‘Shema Yisrael’ in my heart. I asked Hashem for two things: to protect my children and to end this nightmare quickly.”

At that exact moment, just as his last breath was slipping away, Eitan felt something incredible. A mysterious hand in the water unclipped the safety buckle on his parachute and lifted him to the surface.

“If that wasn’t an angel sent by Hashem, I don’t know what it was,” he said.

But the story didn’t end there. For the next three hours, Eitan struggled to stay conscious while tangled in the parachute cords. He couldn’t move his legs, and even the smallest movement would cause filthy water to splash into his mouth and choke him.

“The paramotor had sunk, and I was trapped,” he said. “It felt like I was tied down like a bird with its legs caught or a candle being dragged down by its own wax. I could barely breathe. I had to keep my chin high the entire time to stay above the water.”

“My Angel in the Water Didn’t Let Me Give Up”

How did you manage to stay hopeful and not panic?

“For the first hour, I prayed and tried to use my hands to keep myself up. But after a while, the parachute filled with water, and I completely lost my ability to move. That’s when things got worse.”

The pilot, the other Eitan, was in a slightly better condition, only one of his legs was tangled. He was able to move a bit, and with tremendous effort, used his hands to keep Asraf’s head above the water.

This small act of bravery saved a life. But at the time, Asraf was begging his friend to save himself.

“I told him to let go and free his second leg and to save himself,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d survive. The choking sensation was unbearable. I was sure that I was about to drown. I felt completely helpless.”

So what kept you going?

“Although I felt like the angel of death was pulling me down, my friend, my real-life angel, refused to let go. It was like he had superhuman strength. Even when he was exhausted, he kept pushing my head above water. I gave up at least fifty times. My body went limp. But every time, he pulled me back up and whispered, ‘Believe me it’s almost over. We’ll be saved soon.’”

Were you afraid of dying?

“Not anymore. At that point, I wasn’t afraid of death I just wanted it to be over. I begged Hashem to end it. Being stuck like that, completely frozen, relying on someone else who’s also suffering, it’s not something you can really describe.”

A Miracle Within a Miracle: Saved Just in Time

After three hours of fighting to stay alive, they finally heard the sound of a helicopter in the distance. Help was coming. But even then, Asraf wasn’t sure he would make it.

“When I saw the rescue team arriving, I didn’t even feel joy,” he admitted. “I honestly thought it was too late. I was just glad my friend would be saved. I felt numb. I didn’t care what happened to me anymore.”

But Hashem hadn’t given up on him.

For thirty more minutes, the rescue workers and divers fought to save the two men. They worked quickly but had to deal with dirty water, tangled ropes, and limited visibility. It was slow, exhausting, and extremely delicate work.

Finally, both men, freezing, exhausted, and barely conscious were pulled from the water and rushed to Beilinson Hospital. Asraf received electric shocks to stabilize him and bring him back to life.

“I thank the Creator of the world for giving me another chance at life,” he said. “Only when you’re that close to death do you realize how precious every single second of life really is. You stop taking anything for granted.”

So what does a person do after surviving such a miracle?

He tells the world about it.

Eitan Asraf, whose Facebook page is followed by thousands, shared his experience with the public, not for fame but to sanctify Hashem’s Name and remind us all that miracles happen. And that Hashem is always with us, even in the darkest, most terrifying moments.