IAF navigator named as second Israeli victim of Nepal blizzard
Tamar Ariel (25) among three Israelis confirmed dead in storm that hit northern Nepal; other victims identified as Agam Luria and Nadav Shoham; death toll rises to 27, with 70 still missing
Tamar Ariel (25), an Israeli Air Force navigator, is among the three Israelis killed in the avalanche and blizzard that hit northern Nepal, it was cleared for publication Thursday.
Two other Israeli trekkers killed in the storm have been named as Agam Luria (23) and 30-year-old Nadav Shoham. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem confirmed that one other Israeli is still missing.
Tamar, the daughter of Anat and Hanan, was the third of six children. After two years of National Service, an alternative service that takes the place of army service, Tamar decided to continue to IDF service, and served for three years as an Israeli Air Force navigator. During her service, she survived a plane crash, during which she injured her back.
Shraga Wilk, a relative of Tamar, said that he was informed earlier in the day that efforts to find her had so far failed. "Yesterday afternoon, when reports began to appear about the avalanche, we started to worry," he said.
"We contacted the insurance companies, the Foreign Ministry and Air Force officials. We then realized the situation was not so good. Unfortunately, the news came through the trekkers first, and then through the police. The hikers said that they had been caught in a storm and decided to evacuate themselves in small groups. When they reached the base of the mountain, they did a head count and saw that she was missing. At daybreak, they returned to the same spot and found her nearby."
Vilk added that she had told her family that she would be hiking the trail, and was scheduled to return to Israel this weekend. "We were concerned for her, but are used to her being an extreme sports enthusiast," he added.
Vilk further said that she was assigned to squadron operations and participated in Operation Protective Edge. "She was a woman of stature – a pillar of strength in almost all circles of her life."
Search teams in army helicopters rescued dozens of stranded foreign trekkers and recovered more bodies of victims of a blizzard and avalanches in Nepal's northern mountains Thursday, raising the death toll to 27.
The route, 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of the capital, Katmandu, was filled with international hikers during the peak October trekking season, when the air is generally clear and cool. There were also many Nepalese on the trails because of local festivals.
Government administrator Yama Bahadur Chokhyal said rescuers recovered 10 more bodies from the Thorong La pass area, where they had been caught in a sudden blizzard Tuesday.
Matan Tzuri contributed to this report.
