‘Hashem protected me,’ says SA grenade-attack survivor

Heading home after a peaceful walk on the beach near his home in Herzliya Pituach on Sunday, 6 July, South African expat David*(38) heard a small explosion. Turning in that direction to investigate, he saw a larger explosion, and looked down to see himself bleeding out from various parts of his body.

“I remember everything,” says David, who was born in Pretoria and later lived in Johannesburg and Cape Town before making aliya three years ago. “I remember the explosion, the shrapnel coming for me, the sound, the smell, the pain, the feeling, every bit of the entire process up until now. It will always be very much a part of me. I will use the experience to gain strength and knowledge, and grow into a stronger man.”

Having celebrated his birthday just three days prior to the explosion, David says his 39th year started with a bang. “The initial explosion sounded like kids were throwing a firework or like a spark plug blowout,” he recalls. What he had heard, however, was the primary explosion of a grenade. The secondary, or main explosion, occurred within one to two metres of where he was walking.

“Time stood still,” he says. “My adrenaline kicked in, and I knew I needed to assess the situation. My ears were ringing at a high frequency from the explosion, and as I turned around, I noticed that the street was fairly empty.” Upon realising that he was bleeding profusely from his arm, his chest, and his stomach, David reached the middle of the road and began to call for help.

While people came out of their houses and cars began to stop, he called emergency services himself as he knew he needed immediate assistance. As he detailed his condition, a first responder who happened to be his neighbour and a former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) medic rushed to his aid. “He put pressure on the wounds on my chest, took my shirt off, and turned it into a tourniquet.”

After about five minutes, the paramedics arrived and took over, also administering medication to stop the bleeding and then loading David into the ambulance. “The first responders, the paramedics, the police, were a great mix of Arab and Israeli men and women. Everyone worked well together to help me,” he says. “They all treated me like family, no matter where we came from, or what situation we were in. It was incredible to see.”

In the more than 30 minutes it took get to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah, now part of the Rabin Medical Center, David says he thought he wouldn’t make it. He said the Shema, called his father in South Africa, and contacted his boss and manager.

“When I got to the hospital, I was wheeled in,” he says. “It felt like an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, where I had multiple doctors on each side of me, each doing their own thing to save my life, everything from administering oxygen to painkillers to tetanus injections. I was in G-d’s and the doctors’ hands.”

David underwent scans and X-rays which found shrapnel of various sizes throughout his body. He spent three days in hospital and underwent basic surgery to remove shrapnel in two of his knuckles. Yet one of his main injuries is on his right forearm.

“About a 3mm-long piece of shrapnel went quite deep into my forearm, so it damaged nerves, arteries, and muscles there, which has left me with severe numbness and lack of mobility. I was also hit in my chest on the sixth rib, which was fractured. Pieces of shrapnel are still lodged inside my chest, on the lower side of my stomach, and in my shoulders.”

The shrapnel in his chest and stomach will probably remain there forever, says David. “It’s fairly common, especially with IDF soldiers who have shrapnel damage, to leave most of the shrapnel inside because it’s more invasive to take it out.” His care is ongoing and over time, his orthopaedic surgeon and hand specialist will establish if his forearm requires surgery or whether the nerves will heal by themselves. He’s also working with a physiotherapist to regain mobility in his right arm and grip strength in his hand.

The head gardener on one of Israel’s largest private estates where he lives and works, David says his hands are the main tools in his professional arsenal. “I’m also a surfer and need my arm for that as well, so it’s affected my work, my lifestyle, and my happy space.” Naturally he’s also feeling a high level of anxiety brought on by post-traumatic stress, which he continues to navigate.

Nevertheless, he’s feeling positive and motivated as he begins his recovery journey. Despite the ongoing war and the difficulties it’s brought, David says he has found peace in Israel. “Even with my current situation, I’m still feeling strong, well, and happy to be here. My life here is happy, simple, and peaceful, and I’ve worked extremely hard to be in this position. I’m not going to let this change that. Either these things make you or break you, and I’m not ready to be broken.”

The events surrounding the grenade attack are part of a police investigation. “The area where it happened has many embassies, ambassadors, and very successful, wealthy, powerful people – politicians, businesspeople, even mafia,” he says. “It’s thought that the grenade was meant to be thrown into someone’s house. It hit the wall, and landed in front of me. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I also believe that I was put there by Hashem and protected there by Hashem.”

Aside from his faith, David also draws strength from his journey so far. Also a photographer, he’s been on multiple adventures, documenting his travels. He’s climbed large mountains – even living in the Himalayas for a year and reaching Everest Base Camp – swum in deep oceans and hiked through wild natural locations.

“It’s not always about the places, it’s about the person you are in those places,” he says.

“I’m also connected to people that have deep, dark stories. I’ve learned from people in Israel that have been in very difficult places during this war. I rely on the strength of being Jewish and being Israeli, the support of the community and people around me, and my family and friends in South Africa. They all show me that I’ve got a lot of reasons to get stronger. When things settle, I’ll visit South Africa for some love and healing.”

*David asked that his surname be withheld as the investigation surrounding the grenade explosion is ongoing.