Israel's sole fatality from Nepal quake to be laid to rest Wednesday

Details of the funeral were posted on a Facebook page dedicated to the memory of the young man who was killed on April 25 by an avalanche in the Langtang area.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
Or Asraf's coffin arrives in Israel
Israel’s sole fatality from the Nepal earthquake, Or Asraf, 22, will be buried in his home community of Lehavim in the Negev on Wednesday afternoon.
Details of the funeral were posted on a Facebook page dedicated to the memory of the young man who was killed on April 25 by an avalanche in the Langtang area where he was hiking when a massive earthquake struck Nepal.
An Israeli rescue team found his body on Sunday. Or’s father Patrick and former members of his elite Egoz reconnaissance team had flown to Nepal last week to join the search.
It was members of his army unit that walked with Or’s body to a nearby village, where a helicopter was waiting to depart for Kathmandu. The trip home took two days.
On Monday Patrick told Army radio that as the result of the intense search, “Or has become everyone's son.”
Patrick said he was grateful that Israeli rescuers had found Or.
“This could have ended very differently,” said Patrick, who explained that there were many other missing hikers who had not yet been found and might never be found.
“I would never have forgiven myself or been able to live with myself if we had been forced to leave him on the mountain,” Patrick said.
He had held out hope, because he knew that his son was very strong, responsible and had excellent survival skills.
But given that he was caught in the avalanche, Patrick said, his survival skills were no longer relevant.
“He was an amazing person, everyone loved him,” said Patrick.
As he grew up it was only his home community of  Lehavim, that knew how special he was Patrick said.
“But now everyone knows.”


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