19-year-old Yehoshua Hefetz collapses during tryouts for an elite unit in the IDF; doctors pronounce him dead in Eilat.
By YAAKOV KATZIDF soldiers north of Eilat, Sinai_311(photo credit: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)
An 19-year-old IDF soldier died Wednesday morning during trials for an elite unit in southern Israel.OC Ground Forces Command Maj.-Gen. Sammy Turgeman appointed a colonel to lead the investigation into the circumstances of his death.The soldier, Yehoshua Hefetz, collapsed during tryouts for acceptance to one of the IDF's elite units. He was rushed to a hospital in Eilat where he was pronounced dead.Earlier this year, Private Dvir Moor died at a Nahal Brigade's training base after he contracted an infection during a basic training.Moor was meant to serve in an elite unit when the aggressive infection hospitalized him, killing him soon after at a hospital in Beersheba.A little less than two years ago, another training accident claimed the life of St.-Sgt. Omri Shoshan, who was shot in the back during an exercise at Mt. Keren - the Givati Brigade's training base - in the South.Shoshan, a squad commander, was leading his troops during a live-fire drill when was accidentally shot and died of his wounds.Jpost.com staff contributed to this report
