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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - A Jordanian army helicopter on Saturday morning rescued an injured Israeli tour guide who was trapped in a narrow wadi, or valley, after a receiving a head injury the day before.

The guide was injured Friday as he led a group of 18 Israelis in Wadi Rum, a popular tourist destination in south Jordan, east of Aqaba, that is famed for its red sandstone.

According to the Ynet news website, the guide received a blow to the head and was unable to move. The company that provided insurance for the guide was notified of the incident and immediately contacted the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.

Given the sensitivity of the situation, the report said, the Foreign Ministry took charge. Israel signed a peace agreement with Jordan in 1994, although ties have often been tense.

An official from the ministry’s department for Israelis abroad and the Israeli consulate in Jordan began coordination, with the ministry opening a situation room to handle the affair.

Once it became clear that the injured man could not be reached by car, officials decided to use a helicopter. Jerusalem secured the services of a Jordanian military chopper, but that too initially proved to be unsuccessful. While the helicopter easily reached the site, Ynet said, it was unable to find a safe landing spot, and the would-be rescuers were forced to depart empty-handed.

The group then considered taking the injured man to higher ground, making an air rescue more straightforward, but his injuries precluded such a move. The group decided to wait until early Saturday morning, when the helicopter returned and this time managed to land successfully.

The injured man was airlifted to the Jordan-Israel border crossing at Aqaba, where an Israeli ambulance was waiting to take him to Yoseftal Hospital in nearby Eilat.

*Time of Israel