Hero Who Saved Be’eri Civilians Drowns on Tragic Greek Vacation
Erez Halfon, a decorated IDF Egoz Unit reservist who heroically saved civilians during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, tragically drowned while snorkeling in Greece.
In a tragic loss, Erez Halfon, a 28-year-old reservist from the elite IDF Egoz Unit, drowned on July 10, 2025, while vacationing in Greece, just weeks after serving over 300 days in the Iron Swords War. Halfon, who earned a Head of Regional Command Citation for his bravery as a medic during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, was among the first responders at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, where he and his unit fought Hamas terrorists for hours, rescuing dozens of civilians during the attack that killed 1,200 Israelis.
Hailing from Tel Aviv, Halfon left behind his parents, a brother, and a sister. Seeking respite from intense combat in Gaza and other fronts, he joined comrades for a break on a Greek beach. While snorkeling, tragedy struck. His friend Gur, who was nearby, recounted the harrowing moment to N12: “Erez went into the water, and after a few minutes, he just disappeared. I couldn’t see his snorkel, and I had a feeling something terrible happened.”
Panic erupted as Gur and others alerted rescue teams. Gur dove into the sea fully clothed, desperately searching. “To my sorrow, I found him submerged with his face down,” he said, his voice heavy with grief. Despite efforts by Greek coastguard and medics, Halfon could not be revived. The incident occurred off a beach near Athens, where strong currents were reported, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
Halfon’s citation in 2014 stemmed from saving his commander’s life under heavy fire in Gaza’s Saja’iyya neighborhood, where he manually stemmed a bleeding artery during evacuation. Social media posts on X mourned his loss, with one user writing, “Erez was a true hero, saving lives in Be’eri, only to lose his own in a cruel twist.”