Home » Themes » Disaster » Industrial
Maccabieh Bridge TragedyPrint Page 
A monument commemorates Australians Yetty Bennet, Elizabeth Sawicki, Greg Small and Warren Zines who lost their lives in the bridge collapse at the Maccabiah Games held in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1997.
The Maccabiah bridge collapse was the catastrophic failure of a pedestrian bridge over the Yarkon River in Tel Aviv,Israel on July 14, 1997. The collapse of the temporary wooden structure killed four and injured 60 Australian athletes who were visiting Israel to participate in the Maccabiah Games. One athlete died in the collapse, three died afterwards due to infections caused by exposure to the polluted river water.
Five people, including the engineer who designed the bridge and the chair of the Tel Aviv Games Organising Committee, were later convicted of recklessly causing death and injury. The incident and subsequent inquiries were extensively reported on by the Australian media.
Note : The Maccabiah Games first held in 1932, are an international Jewish multi-sport event now held quadrennially in Israel. It is the third-largest sporting event in the world, with 9,000 athletes competing on behalf of 78 countries.
Location
| Address: | 50 Browns Road, Melbourne Chevra Kadisha Springvale Cemetery, Noble Park North, 3174 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.945607 Long: 145.187837 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Disaster |
| Sub-Theme: | Industrial |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 14-July-1997 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 14-July-1997 |
Dedication
maccabi
AUSTRALIA
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
YETTY BENNETT ELIZABETH SAWICKI
GREG SMALL WARREN ZINES
(Hebrew)
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES DUE TO THE BRIDGE TRAGEDY AT THE 15TH MACCABIAH GAMES
ISRAEL, 14th JULY 1997
(Hebrew)
Donated by Michael and Norman Same and Families
