Parents Demand Answers 10 Months After Toddler's Eilat Hotel Electrocution

Ten months ago, Yair and Chali Sapir took their three children on a family vacation to Eilat. While sitting in the hotel lobby, their one-and-a-half-year-old son, Guy, leaned against a railing and suffered a severe electrical shock. Since the incident, he has been suffering from severe brain damage and is receiving home-based care after spending long months in the hospital. The parents claim that the police investigation concluded months ago, but the State Attorney's Office has yet to decide whether to file an indictment.

"We will not rest until we get answers," the parents said in an interview with ynet.

"We went on vacation on November 5," recalled Yair, the father. "We arrived at the hotel at 4:00 PM. Around 5:00 PM, we went down to drink coffee in the lobby before dinner. I went up to the room for a moment, and Chali stayed with the children. I returned right to the situation where Guy was holding onto the railing with his head back. I approached him casually because it wasn't anything unusual, and I didn't want to startle him. I just didn't want him to fall backward on his head."

The father added: "When I reached him, he just let go of the railing and fell backward. At first, it looked as though he had fainted from the fall, but slowly we saw he wasn't responding. Magen David Adom paramedics arrived and began resuscitation. Chali traveled with Guy to the hospital, and I stayed with the older children. I didn't know what was happening; I didn't know it was electrocution and that the condition was critical. After a few hours, Chali, her sister, and a social worker called to tell me that I needed to come to Soroka Medical Center immediately because his condition was critical."

The Discovery of the Electrical Hazard

Mother Chali recounted: "When we arrived at Yoseftel Hospital [in Eilat], a social worker approached me and said that the condition was very severe, that they are not used to treating such cases there, and that he was being transferred to Soroka. Within 20 minutes, we were on a helicopter to Be'er Sheva, understanding nothing, not understanding what happened here. The child simply fell from his own height. They started interrogating us about whether there was a family medical history. They thought the child had been ill."

Doctors at the hospital in Be'er Sheva fought for Guy's life. "One of the doctors asked for a security camera video to see what happened in order to know how to treat him," Yair said. "They tried to raise hypotheses among themselves, and then in the morning, a department head asked me if it was possible that Guy had been electrocuted because he had a deep wound on his left lower leg. We said we hadn't seen any electricity, and it wasn't visible in the video either."

The father added: "In the evening, I asked an acquaintance I know at the hotel to photograph the scene for me, and suddenly I saw a wall sconce on the side that was slightly scorched, and that corner was closed off with a bench, red-and-white warning tape, and a sign next to it that said 'Fresh paint, do not touch.' We were in shock. It was clear it was electrocution because he had wounds on his fingers. Guy leaned against the railing, and his leg touched the wall sconce, which closed an electrical circuit. We were sure the hotel put up the 'Fresh paint' sign, but they said the police put it up so as not to alarm the guests."

Regarding Guy's difficult medical condition, Chali said: "At first, he convulsed a lot, and the condition was very severe. His condition was defined as a vegetative state, and for months Guy lay without moving. His eyes were closed, and he was dressed in a way that we couldn't see his face. We didn't recognize our child. It was forbidden to lift him, to hug him. As a mother who nursed him until that day, it broke me.

«I couldn't hug him, smell him, kiss him. He is in front of me, but this is not my child. It is a situation with no words to describe it. For another week and a half, I kept pumping milk until there was nothing left to pump, and it tore me apart. For five months, I couldn't pick him up. Slowly, Guy opened his eyes and there is a beginning of everything. There is initial hearing and initial vision. He is certainly visually impaired, but in conditions like Guy's, blindness is usually not complete.»

Transition to Home Care and Legal Frustration

Despite the complex situation, Chali and Yair decided to hospitalize their son at home and care for him themselves. According to the mother, "There was very great pressure to institutionalize him because we have other children, but this is my child, this is a child I had just nursed. I cannot put him away and come visit him during visiting hours. We went to see institutions, and you see children without parents around, and it is sad."

"The right thing that can advance him is to be at home, but the hospital determined that Guy is in a vegetative state with no rehabilitation horizon, and I did not accept that. He opened his eyes and there are some movements, and I fought that I wanted a reassessment. Neurologists arrived, and after a few months, they determined he has a minimally conscious state. I think Guy's current condition is temporary, and with God's help and our help, we will advance him further and further."

According to the parents, the investigation concluded back in January or February, but so far no decision has been made in the case. "All this time I have been waiting for answers," Yair says. "Two weeks ago, they told us the case is under review. Any reasonable person, anyone who sees the security camera footage and knows there is a report from the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute determining this was electrocution, would not understand why we have no answers. There was no question here whether it was electrocution. Where is there another review in the case here? What is there left to review?"

The father further stated: "In a criminal trial, you have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, but start by telling me what happened there. Was there an exposed wire? Was there not? We want to know what happened to our son and who is responsible for this. This is a matter of public interest, not just ours. I am in anxiety about my children over everything since then. It doesn't make sense that there are no answers. We will not rest until we get these answers. It cannot be that no one will be held accountable. I don't know what happened to my child. I know he was electrocuted, and I saw it with my own eyes, and there is also the video, but officially I have no idea what happened there. I don't understand this, and I want to hear from the State Attorney's Office what happened there."

Yair also alleges failures in the police investigation. He stated, "Throughout the investigation, most of the time we were the ones who called to ask what is happening, and the hotel continues to operate as usual. And I ask how the hotel operates as usual after such a thing, and the investigator tells me, 'It is not our job to close a hotel.' It's absurd."

Impact on the Family and Official Responses

Since the incident, Yair and Chali have been forced to resign from their jobs to spend most of their time caring for Guy. "We haven't been able to return to work since," Yair explains. "We care for Guy around the clock, and we have two other children, Bar, 9, and Niv, 4. It makes it much harder. They really love their brother and are happy he is home. During the summer break, I had to explain to Bar why we couldn't fly, and we had a very complex vacation with the children. We went for one night to a hotel in Jerusalem, and none of us managed to enjoy it. Niv kept being afraid he would get electrocuted."

Yair said with pain: "A few months ago, a baby arrived in a similar condition to the hospital after losing oxygen and passed away, and I told myself somewhere maybe it is good for them that way."

Chali sounds more optimistic: "I prefer to fight for him. It's like a cup that broke and now you are putting the pieces back together. He will never return to the way he was, but I will fight for every smile I get from him."

In response, the Israel Police stated: "The Israel Police wishes to strengthen the family during this difficult time and prays for the improvement of Guy's condition and his speedy recovery. Immediately upon receiving the report, an investigation was opened, which was conducted thoroughly and professionally, while performing all required investigative actions, closing the scene, and utilizing professional entities, including an expert in the field of electricity. Upon completion of the investigative actions, the case was transferred, as customary, for the review and examination of the State Attorney's Office, which holds the authority to file an indictment."

The State Attorney's Office stated in response: "The case has been transferred for the review of the State Attorney's Office, and no decision has been reached yet. The State Attorney's Office acts to advance the handling of all cases transferred to it and to minimize examination times as much as possible, even during periods characterized by exceptional case and event loads, and considering the scope and complexity of the cases. At this stage, we will not be able to address the nature and essence of the evidence and findings transferred for our review."