On Tuesday morning, May 17th, tragedy struck five well known and respected visitors from New York as they took an early morning swim at Haulover Beach. The area, which was secluded, took the five by surprise as they were swept into deep water by a sudden undercurrent. Of the five, two managed to get out by themselves, one were rescued by lifeguards and Miami Dade Fire & Rescue with assistance from Bal Harbour Police Department Officer George Waisman, who responded to the scene, and two, Rabbi Rosenberg and Rabbi Parnes, z'l, were recovered and taken to Aventura Hospital where they unfortunately passed away.
CSE members were immediately sent to the hospital to initiate procedures that would procure the release of the deceased so that they could be transported to New York for immediate burial. “The intensity of sorrow at not being able to save the two Rabbis was palpable throughout the room. We felt a duty to assure Kovod Hameis at all costs,” remembers Dovie Katz, Supervisor of Operations for CSE.
“Time was a major factor for the families and the community at large in New York as burial had to take place within 24 hours of pitera”, explains Rabbi Mark Rosenberg, Director of CSE in Florida, Chaplain of Florida Highway Patrol and Chaplain of the North Miami Beach Police Department. CSE reached out to the numerous agencies involved in the process of releasing the deceased for transport. Rabbi Pinchas Weberman, Chaplain to Miami Dade Police Dept, maintained open communications between the Police Department and the Medical Examiner’s office.
CSE thanks Miami Dade Police Director Juan Perez and Deputy Director Alfredo Ramirez for their help in facilitating accurate information and knowledge of progress throughout the day. We are grateful to Maj. Plasencia, Lt. Buchanan, and Sgt. Samir of the Miami Dade Inter-coastal Police Department, who were in the hospital the entire day and made themselves accessible to CSE members.
Mark Rosenberg thanks Florida Governor Rick Scott’s office as well as Miami Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s office for their immediate and supportive assistance. Lt. Gov Carlos Lopez-Cantera was in constant contact with CSE to assure the speedy release of the Niftorim. CSE gives special thanks to Deputy Mayor Russel Benford who took steps to expedite the chain of events and called for the medical examiner to hasten procedures that very night. His understanding of the Jewish customs and rituals pertaining to the deceased inspired his conviction to assure that the Niftorim would be buried within 24 hours as needed. He in fact informed CSE of the release at 12 am.
“I will never forget how extremely comforting and assuring it was to know that the Governor’s office, the Mayor’s office and the Medical Examiner’s office had taken extraordinary measures to assure a positive outcome on behalf of the families of the deceased, including putting a medical team together in the middle of the night to accommodate our religious needs,” says Mark Rosenberg.
The Director of Operation for the Medical Examiner’s, Darren Caprara, and Interm Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Emma Lew, as well as their staff are to be commended for going beyond the call of duty. Chesed Shel Emes members who never left the bedside of the niftorim from the time of the incident until about 4 AM, promptly transported the deceased on to a private plane headed for New York. CSE accompanied the deceased to their final destination.
CSE thanks all those who helped in the efforts to bring dignity, respect and resolve to the deceased and their family.
