Published: Just now
In the middle of the pool party, a sinkhole opened in the pool.
One of the party-goers died when he was swept down with the water into the underworld.
– I saw two people who just disappeared, says a witness.
The accident happened in Karmei Yosef in central Israel on Thursday afternoon.
A private company had a party in a rented villa with a swimming pool. Suddenly the bottom of the pool gave way.
Mobile footage shows how both people and inflatable bath toys are sucked down with the water through the torn canvas.
The sinkhole was 13 meters deep, reports the BBC. A 34-year-old man managed to escape and escaped with minor injuries, but for Klil Kimhi, 32, the outcome was fatal.
He was only found after four hours after the rescue service had to prop up the ground in a complicated operation and film with helmet cameras down into the hole.
“A hole opened up”
Israeli media reports that six of the approximately 50 partygoers were in the pool when it gave way.
– The water level suddenly started to drop and a hole opened up. It created a vortex that pulled down two people, a witness told Channel 12.
Another of the participants told the newspaper Ynet that she shouted to her colleagues to get out of the pool. At first they thought it was some kind of game.
– Seconds later, the ground collapsed. I saw two people who just disappeared, she says
The owners of the pool villa, a couple in their 60s, are now suspected of crimes after the accident. They are said to have built the pool without permission, also in an area with known infrastructure problems, states the Times of Israel.