The search for Chen Asmatker in Kibbutz Afikim near Tiberias is continuing. We at the IDU Israel Dog Unit searched into the night and have stopped for a rest at a nearby gas station. We hope to resume the search at 6 AM. Anyone wishing to join the search can meet us at the entrance to the kibbutz at6.00 AM in the Delek Minta Gas Station. If you can't physically join us you can still help by circulating Chen's picture. I am including a more updated photo than the one we put on the flyers.
The Tiberias police brass have learned to take our advice seriously. We have a history with them after helping in previous searches here. They know full well that there is no group or unit out there that will search as deep in the wilderness as the IDU dogs and dog-handlers. They also know that we will be out there hours before anyone else, and stay far after all the others will abandon the search. Our volunteers are not only the most committed but they have the professional skills and experience so lacking in most of the other search teams.
The Tiberias police brass have learned to take our advice seriously. We have a history with them after helping in previous searches here. They know full well that there is no group or unit out there that will search as deep in the wilderness as the IDU dogs and dog-handlers. They also know that we will be out there hours before anyone else, and stay far after all the others will abandon the search. Our volunteers are not only the most committed but they have the professional skills and experience so lacking in most of the other search teams.
The police remember full well that when we searched for A.C. two years back, that we were right when we tried unsuccessfully to move the search out of the Swiss Forest and in the direction of Poriya. A.C. was found dead weeks later in the fields outside of Poriya. The cops also remember how right we were when in another search for V.Y. last year, we urged them to keep the search local. The Mayor and the Chief of police insisted on widening the search to kibbutzim and moshavim out of the city. We convinced them to allocate one squad to focus on the immediate area where he went missing. It was that lone squad, under our guidance that found V.Y. a few hundred meters away, 1 hour after the meeting in Tiberias City Hall, thanks to our stubborn input. Today when I arrived at the briefing in the command center at Mitzpeh Mussa on the outskirts of Afikim, the same officers were humble enough to allow us to help direct the search, recalling the previous cases, and our proven success rate.
As much as we would love to go home and sleep in a normal bed, I know that we are needed here and that there is still a chance to find Chen alive, with G-d's help.
Chen left his house without his tallit and tefillin, something that he never does if he intended to go away for a few days. He was last seen Thursdayevening heading out in the direction of the Afikim cemetery, where his grandfather is buried, and where he often visits to say prayers. The outskirts of that area is lined with cliffs. He also is known to have traveled regularly to the nearby town of Menachamiya. Fields, canyons and orchards and the Jordan River stand between Afikim and Menachamiya to the south. The valley splits off in the north heading to Yavniel. There are no shortage of Arabs in the general vicinity. Anything could have happened to Chen. All we know is that he left a freshly cooked meal untouched at home. His phone stopped signalling 4.30 PM Thursday evening, about the same time neighbors saw him exiting the back gate of Ofakim heading in the general direction of the cemetery and the cliffy wilderness. The last person he spoke with on his phone was traced to a Rabbi who said that he was in a confused and depressed state of mind. The witnesses who last saw him walking west in the direction of the cemetery, the fields, canyons and cliffs said that he did not look well. Chen is not well physically and is under tremendous mental strain at this time. He needs his medication, especially if he G-d forbid lays injured somewhere in the nearby fields.
As much as we would love to go home and sleep in a normal bed, I know that we are needed here and that there is still a chance to find Chen alive, with G-d's help.
Chen left his house without his tallit and tefillin, something that he never does if he intended to go away for a few days. He was last seen Thursdayevening heading out in the direction of the Afikim cemetery, where his grandfather is buried, and where he often visits to say prayers. The outskirts of that area is lined with cliffs. He also is known to have traveled regularly to the nearby town of Menachamiya. Fields, canyons and orchards and the Jordan River stand between Afikim and Menachamiya to the south. The valley splits off in the north heading to Yavniel. There are no shortage of Arabs in the general vicinity. Anything could have happened to Chen. All we know is that he left a freshly cooked meal untouched at home. His phone stopped signalling 4.30 PM Thursday evening, about the same time neighbors saw him exiting the back gate of Ofakim heading in the general direction of the cemetery and the cliffy wilderness. The last person he spoke with on his phone was traced to a Rabbi who said that he was in a confused and depressed state of mind. The witnesses who last saw him walking west in the direction of the cemetery, the fields, canyons and cliffs said that he did not look well. Chen is not well physically and is under tremendous mental strain at this time. He needs his medication, especially if he G-d forbid lays injured somewhere in the nearby fields.
Dozens of volunteers searched today. IDF soldiers, police, a helicopter, horses, jeeps and more. we came with our dogs to go into the types of spots that others would not venture to even try and access. We brought our drone to transmit photos from above the jungle high shrubs under the cliffs.
We are all hoping that he went to some yeshiva in Zefat or Jerusalem. His worried family wants to believe that this is the case. We all realize that if he fell wounded in the nearby wilderness, that his chance of survival is dwindling by the minute. We still have plenty of spots to check. We are reluctant to take out the cadaver dogs. We want to believe that even if he is here, that somehow he is still alive. And so we are still focusing on the Search and Rescue Dogs. Pray for Chen and spread his photo, maybe someone saw him somewhere and could help us learn more about the direction we need to search in.
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