Shalom Saginer z”l, four years old, the grandson of Breslev Mashpia Rabbi Shalom Arush, drowned in a hotel swimming pool in San José del Cabo, Mexico, while on a family vacation.

The child is the son of Rabbi Assaf and Rivka Saginer, and the grandson of Rabbi Shalom Arush, rosh mosdot of Chut Shel Chessed. Local rescue teams responded to the scene and performed extended resuscitation efforts before pronouncing the child’s death R”L.

Following the tragedy, Mexican authorities sought to perform an autopsy on the child’s body. Through the intervention of ZAKA’s international unit, the autopsy was avoided, and the body was released for burial. ZAKA is now working with the relevant authorities in Mexico to complete the necessary procedures and bring the body to Eretz Yisroel for burial as soon as possible.

Yossi Landau, ZAKA regional commander for Lachish, said his organization has been accompanying the family since the report came in and is now working to finalize arrangements to bring the child to Israel for burial at the earliest opportunity.

In a statement, the family said: “Baruch Dayan HaEmes. A grievous tragedy has come upon us with the difficult news of the passing of the pure child Shalom Saginer, son of Rabbi Assaf and Rivka, grandson of Harav Shalom Arush, shlit”a. Only four years old, he was taken pure and unblemished. May Hashem comfort us and heal our brokenness.”

Rabbi Shalom Arush, the child’s grandfather, is among the leading mezakei harabim and baalei teshuvah movement leaders of this generation, and founder of the Chut Shel Chessed institutions active across Eretz Yisroel.