Inquiry ordered after two Israeli navy commandos die
Friday, December 13, 1996 | byNAOMI SEGAL
JERUSALEM—An Israel Navy commission is investigating the mysterious deaths of two frogmen commandos during a routine diving exercise last week in Haifa Bay.
The bodies of the two—Petty Officer Yair Engel, 19, of Kibbutz Ramat Rahel, and Petty Officer Matan Polivoda, 20, of Mevasseret Zion—were found Thursday afternoon of last week.
The two, in the Shayetet 13 underwater commando battalion, were found about three feet below the surface. They were tied together by a cable, which is standard procedure in diving exercises. The cable system helps ensure that if one of the divers is in trouble, the other can respond.
Both commandos had taken part in similar exercises in the past, had dived dozens of times and were approaching the end of the course.
An initial inquiry showed that weather conditions were normal for the drill, which took place the night before they were discovered. Their equipment was not damaged and there were no signs of any blows or trauma to their bodies, officials said.
The two had apparently completed half the exercise when they carried out a status check at a little after 10 p.m.
When they failed to surface as scheduled 50 minutes later, the drill commander called for them twice, then declared a state of emergency.
Extensive searches were carried out through the night until the bodies were found.
The exercise was held in a section of Haifa Bay behind a seawall, protected from the rough seas and currents. Swimming in polluted water peppered with sunken wrecks, the two were running through the repeat mission at a faster pace, either because they were already familiar with the route, or in an attempt to improve their standing in the unit.
Navy officials instituted operational changes in the drill two years ago, after the death of another unit member in a diving accident.
On Kibbutz Ramat Rahel, Engel's family said they were not blaming anyone for their son's death.
"We have no complaint or claims against any one of his wonderful commanders," the family said in a statement. "Only those who don't try don't make mistakes, and if there was a human error then we can understand."