After Dramatic Resuscitation At Italian Train Station, Former Mossad Man (40) Back On His Feet In Israel

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — During the course of a business trip to Italy, a former Mossad agent collapsed and fell unconscious on a train trip, losing his pulse and breathing. A local paramedic fought for his life on the platform and on the way to a hospital in Rome and after succeeding in stabilizing his condition he was flown to Israel, where a subcutaneaous defibrillator was transplanted into his body at the Shaare Tzedek hospital.

The drama occurred on a train from Napoli to Rome a few months ago. Former agent Y collapsed suddenly while on the train. A passenger performed basic resuscitation and the train was stopped and the man taken down for intensive resuscitation procedures. He was then taken to the Umberto Policlinoco in Rom where he underwent 14 shocks and respiration and lay sedated and unconscious for an entire day. Doctors did not give him much chance of survival.

Y is a father of three from Jerusalem who travels often to Europe. A healthy person who maintains a sporting and active life, he said that he didn’t feel any unusual symptoms besides a little tiredness and didn’t expect anything to happen on the train.

“I travelled to Rome for a short period, I was planning to return for Shabbat by my plans got changed. I went to a business meeting and on my way back to Rome missed the train I was supposed to take and took a train from another platform, where I lost consciousness. An Italian guy who was very friendly helped me immediately and even stopped the train and connected with a local ambulance, where a determined female paramedic initiated resuscitation procedures.

“I was sedated and respirated until Shabbat. Shmulik Nakash, my driver over the last decade, was waiting for me at Ben Gurion airport and knew that I’m rarely late without notifying and called my family. My wife said she had tried calling the entire day and realized that I might be in danger so she contacted the Israeli consul in Italy, Chanoch Amedi, who located me in the hospital. The hospital informed my wife that I was alive but in serious condition. Just before Shabbat they woke me up and were worried that I had severe brain damage but to their surprise I asked to call my wife and regained all of my functions. They didn’t understand how this could be and dubbed me a miracle.”

After a 4-day hospitalization in Rome, Y continued his treatment in Israel. In consultation with Dr. Amir Orlev, who heads the Shaare Tzedek cardiology department, he was brought there for further treatment and transplant of a subcutaneous defibrillator (S-ICD) which could treat the man’s rare condition.

Dr. Orlev and Dr. Moshe Rav Acha treated Y and said that his case is very unusual and in only 1-2% of cases people survive such cardiac arrests and in many they suffer neurological damage.

Y has returned to his former activities but is closely monitored by the Shaare Tzedek team who wish to determine the causes of his unusual condition and raise awareness to it.