Two Israelis and two other foreign nationals have been killed in a mountain climbing accident on Georgia's Mount Ushba, where their bodies were found on Saturday. The Israelis were identified as Boris Gorfinkel, 46, of Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek, and Michael Leviant, 46, of Binyamina. They, along with a Russian and a Swede, are believed to have fallen off a cliff during the difficult climb. The Foreign Ministry is working to return Gorfinkel's and Leviant's bodies to Israel for burial. The four travellers reportedly set out Monday on a technical alpine ice climbing trek up Mount Ushba, considered to be one of the more difficult trails in the Caucasus Mountains. According Gorfinkel's wife, Nika, the group ascended the southern path of the mountain and brought enough food for five days. They had planned to finish the climb on Friday and to stay in the nearby village of Mazeri. From there, they would leave for the airport the next day. The group told the hostel in Mazeri to expect them by 3 p.m. and to send out a rescue team if they did not arrive on time. When the group did not arrive as planned on Friday, the hostel called for a local rescue crew. A group of Ukrainian climbers joined the search effort. Another crew was dispatched by Israel's Magnus International Search and Rescue company, which the Israeli hikers' families called on Thursday when they hadn't heard from their loved ones. Hilik Magnus, who founded the rescue company, told Israel Hayom that in addition to sending out a search team, he notified Georgian emergency services and the Israeli embassy in Georgia about the missing hikers. Magnus praised the local search and rescue teams and described the complicated mission: "It is a very difficult mountain to climb, and in fickle and extreme weather." He said that the four climbers probably "followed the wrong path, went onto a cliff, and we think they fell because [their gear] was not properly affixed. We are waiting for the findings of the investigation." A helicopter finally spotted the four bodies, but could not land due to inclement weather. A local rescue team approached the bodies on foot. Uri Ofir, secretary of Kibbutz Mishmar Haemek, said that Gorfinkel had been born in Ternopil, Ukraine and moved to Israel at 21. He studied Hebrew at the kibbutz and had served both in the Russian and Israeli militaries. Gorfinkel completed earned his degree in physics and mathematics and worked as a physics, math and computer science teacher at Megiddo Regional High School. Meggido Regional Council head Itzik Holevsky said: "Boris was a legendary physics, math and computer science teacher at Megiddo Regional High School. He advanced and enriched generations of students with his unique mix of professionalism, humor and grace." Sima Dahan, the high school's principal, said, "The teachers and students of the school were shocked upon learning of the disaster." Gorfinkel is survived by his wife and two young daughters. A friend of the Leviant family said, "On Saturday, welfare representatives came to the [Leviant] family home, who weren't home. They were staying with relatives in Yokneam, and that is where they received the tragic news. They are having trouble speaking and have requested that their privacy be respected. This is a huge tragedy." Leviant is survived by his partner and four children and step-children.
