The tragedy in Uman: A day after the passing of the young man Shlomo Zalman Kozlovsky, a 23-year-old Gur Hasid who had become close to Breslov Hasidism, his body landed in Israel. His funeral will leave at 4:00 PM from the Shamgar Funeral Home, and will pass through the Torat HaChaham Beit Midrash on Ehle Yosef Street, on its way to Har Hamunochot. His father, who was in Argentina, is expected to arrive right near the end of the funeral.
Law enforcement authorities in Uman released the body after a stubborn struggle they waged at the Breslov World Center, in the midst of the holiday.
Upon the release of the body, it was placed in a special coffin, and the Hasidim who were in Uman for the holiday passed with the body on its final journey at the Zion of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, after which the funeral procession was held in the afternoon in Uman. From there, the coffin was placed in a 'Hazla Ukraine' ambulance, on its way to Kiev, where the coffin arrived at 2:00 a.m. - and was loaded onto a PS flight that took off for Ben-Gurion Airport.
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""Long hours were wasted""
Representative of the Breslov World Center, Rabbi Shimon Buskila told Hadashot 24: "We received permission from the rabbi to desecrate Yom Tov Sheni for the boy who drowned, to prevent the desecration of his body. We worked around the clock until we managed to free his body, and the coffin has now arrived at the airport in Kiev.
""As a lesson learned, a sign will be placed in three languages, noting the two tragedies that occurred in the lake, and warning against entering the lake.".
Rabbi Hillel Cohen, Chairman of 'Hazla Ukraine': "The guy who didn't know how to swim went in to bathe in a very dangerous place for those who don't know how to swim. This is the second time this place has claimed the lives of people who bathed there, not knowing that it was deep, without being able to grab any ledges, due to the fact that the place was previously a deep quarry that filled with water. Unfortunately for our rabbi, long hours were wasted until midnight, inquiring about the guy's identity.
""Because he was not insured with medical insurance, the immediate arrival of a senior team of doctors with advanced equipment from Kiev was prevented, and when they arrived, it was already too late.".
""The Gentile warned: The place is dangerous""
Shlomo Zalman Kozlovsky, the late, died in a hospital in Uman, after drowning in the local river during the holiday, when he went out for a dip at four in the afternoon. The deceased, the late, was pulled from the water in serious condition and hospitalized in a local hospital in Uman, where doctors fought for his life, but unfortunately without success – and on Thursday morning he died.
The late Z"l arrived at the Zion in Uman ahead of Shavuot, along with a group of dozens of Hasidim who arrived in Ukraine on a special flight.
A guest staying in Uman said: "He went with some guys to swim in the river. A local Russian, who lives near the river, told them not to go in, because 'the place is dangerous, a guy has already drowned here.' They didn't listen, and the guy went in to swim.
""The friends saw that he wasn't coming out. After a few minutes, another friend jumped in, looked for him, dove deep, and pulled him out unconscious with foam and blood from his nose and mouth. His head had apparently been split open by one of the rocks. They performed CPR on him, which went smoothly.".
""The local rescue ambulance personnel resuscitated him with an oxygen cylinder. He opened his eyes for a moment – and lost consciousness again.".
According to local residents, "the water in the river is polluted," and only those who know the place well know how to swim in it. Apparently, the young man slipped from a high place and fell into the river.
Two and a half years ago, a tragedy occurred in the same place, when the late Eli Eliya, a 19-year-old yeshiva student, drowned to death.
