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| Tom Berman |
An Israeli professor was found dead in his hotel room while on vacation abroad, according to press reports in Israel.
The Israeli marine biologist was found dead in the Galapagos Islands after he apparently tripped and fell at a popular tourist site.
Tom Berman, 79, left his hotel in the city of Puerto Ayora on Saturday to visit the popular Las Grietas Lagoons, and when he did not return in the afternoon authorities were alerted about his disappearance.
After a search, his body was found the next day about 120 meters from the marked trail that he was supposed walk through.
Berman left behind his wife and three daughters and seven grandchildren.
Berman's daughter Rina said that while family members were surprised by the news, they take comfort in knowing that their father died doing something he always wanted to do.
“Berman’s passing is a big loss for the State of Israel. The professor has helped Israel tremendously in fighting the drought by helping create large scale desalination plants which enabled to turn salty seawater into delicious drinking water. He will be missed by many,” Sheryl Fuller, 32, of Bat Yam, Israel told YourJewishNews.com after learning about the death of Berman.
Berman was world-renowned authority in aquatic microbiology and worked on projects for desalination and water purification worldwide. He also established a laboratory to investigate the sea of Galilee. In 2012 Berman won a Life Achievement Award of the Israeli Association of Aquatic Sciences.