An Israeli backpacker who was visiting the island of Koh Phangan, Thailand, with friends passed away Sunday morning after being electrocuted in a resort pool.

According to police reports and Rabbi Nechemya Wilhelm, the director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Bangkok who is preparing the body of Ariel Soriano for burial, the 22-year-old was swimming when a live electrical cable fell into the water.

The young man, who had completed his mandatory service in the Israel Defense Force, had visited the Chabad House in the past, said Wilhelm. His parents, who live in Moshav Nordia near the Mediterranean coastal city of Netanya, were due to arrive Monday in Thailand and are scheduled to transport their son’s body back home for a Tuesday burial.

One of Soriano’s friends told the Israeli newspaper Yediot Achronot that he had just come out of the water when the cable landed in the pool. He jumped in to try to save Soriano, but it was too late.

“Everyone was crying. His friends were in hysterics,” said the man. “There was absolute mayhem.”

Wilhelm, who was requested by the Israeli consulate to ensure proper treatment of Soriano’s body in accordance with Jewish law, said that the friends were en route to Bangkok.

“This is a terrible tragedy,” said Wilhelm. “Our hearts and prayers are with his family and friends.”