Police officers in Hadera’s Coastal District have resumed the search for a swimmer who went missing after being attacked by a shark on Monday, authorities announced on Tuesday morning.
Officers arrived early Tuesday to continue search and recovery efforts for the missing swimmer, who was attacked by one or several sharks in waters near the Orot Rabin Powerplant.
Additional agencies that aided in the search effort included the maritime police, the IDF, maritime police, ZAKA, MDA, Nature and Parks Authority, fire services, diving authorities, volunteer efforts, and other emergency response teams.
Beachgoers have been urged against entering waters in the area, and multiple beaches between Hadera and Poleg beach in Netanya have been closed, police said.
Search efforts are widespread in the water, from the initial point of attack, heading south with the current.
Shark attack in Hadera
Among the first responders to the scene of the attack on Monday was a representative from Extreme Simulations, Daniel, told Israeli media that the search efforts have remained flat. As a diving instructor, he was familiar with safe diving practices and navigation underwater.
“I entered the water as soon as we got to the beach, six minutes after the call. The beach was crowded and I immediately put on my clothes and entered a place where I know there are no sharks. I am a diving instructor and I knew where it was safe, but they asked me to go out,” he told Maariv. “For me, even finding a finger is something. Towards nightfall we were still on the beach. The son of the missing person arrived and I will not forget his screams for a long time.”
The Jerusalem Post has reached out to Extreme Simulations for further comment on the matter.
Witnesses at the beach said they saw blood in the water and someone screaming for help.
According to the Nature and Parks Authority, the attack occurred in an area where swimming is prohibited.
Medics, police, and and Nature and Parks Authority inspectors were dispatched to the scene and are searching the area for the swimmer.
Nothing has been found in the search and recovery effort as of Tuesday afternoon, but Israeli media reported that some equipment possibly belonging to the victim, including a bicycle and a bag, has been found.
The Hadera Municipality’s Coastal Division also announced that they are conducting searches to locate the diver.
Sharks, which are found in the area every winter, “have apparently reached the Caesarea and Hadera areas following a fish mortality event at the mouth of the Alexander River,” said Itamar Avishai, scientific director of the Israeli non-profit organization EcoOcean.
Several sharks were also seen close to the river during Passover.
“It is important to note that such a case as occurred in Hadera is rare, even on a global scale. Sharks are not [naturally] aggressive toward humans; there is really no reason to be afraid of them, but it is important to remember that this is a wild animal in its natural environment, and provoking a shark may cause it to defend itself,” Avishai said.
“In general, there is no reason for a shark to attack you, unless you approach it, grab its tail or fins, or disturb it in some way… A shark is a large animal that you should not approach,” he added.
Doron Elmashli, commander of the Lehava unit, told Israeli media that he was not aware of any signs prohibiting entry into the water, despite the area being “known to be infested with sharks along the nearby coastline.” He also urged visitors from approaching sharks in the water, especially for picture-taking purposes. “This is a fighting machine, it is very difficult to predict its reactions. The phenomenon of approaching sharks is a clear and immediate danger to residents.”
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
