Israel Navy soldier dies in training accident at Ashdod Port

Israel Navy Sergeant Gal Azoulay, a cadet in the training course of the elite unit Shayetet 13, was killed overnight in a training accident at the Ashdod Port.

The accident occurred just after 2 A.M. Monday during a routine diving exercise off the coast of the southern city. His family, living in Zichron Ya'akov, has been notified.

Azoulay, 19, was pulled from the water after his comrades noted signs of distress.

The commander of the navy announced later on Monday that he had suspended all training exercises following the accident, and had appointed an investigative committee to look into the incident.

Investigators are trying to determine whether the diver's death was caused by a medical condition or a technical malfunction in his diving equipment.

Azoulay was about four months away from completing the training course. The dive was a group exercise, carried out in pairs, simulating a combat dive in an enemy port. The team divers have had plenty of experience with this kind of exercise, having completed similar exercises dozens of times since the beginning of the course.

The exercise was supervised by Navy commandos on boats as well as on the beach, and an ambulance and a medic were standing by. The dive was supposed to last between two to three hours, and each diver was to alternate being the lead in a duo, and the number two.

Some 90 minutes after the dive began, when Azoulay went from number two to lead diver, he didn't respond to the routine check the two divers must do every 60 seconds. When his partner realized that he was not responding, he began the "hantzala" protocol - which dictates that the diver must bring his partner up above water level and call for help.

Azoulay's partner brought him up and fired a flare gun to mark their location. Within seconds, a boat arrived and Azoulay was administered CPR. Resuscitation efforts continued in the ambulance on shore. Some 40 minutes later, the medical team pronounced him dead.

Following his death, Azoulay's commanders said that he was a very good, professional soldier who displayed high skill level during previous dives. They indicated that all divers are asked if they feel well before every dive, and that divers that feel ill are not permitted to take part in the exercise.

About three years ago, an 18-year-old from the same unit, Shayetet 13, was killed during a training exercise meant to test underwater breathing.

Israel's successful interception of a Hezbollah-bound arms-laden ship a month ago shone the limelight on Shayetet 13, the naval commando flotilla that usually operates far from the public eye. The IDF does not normally talk about the unit's work, except for successful operations useful for political purposes or failed operations entailing casualties.

	Sergeant Gal Azoulay, 19, was killed in a Navy training accident early Monday.