Israeli police scour Mediterranean for swimmer feared attacked by shark
A shiver of endangered dusky and sandbar sharks has been swimming close to the area for years, attracting onlookers who approach the sharks and drawing pleas from conservation groups for authorities to separate people from the wild animals.
Nature groups say these warnings went unheeded and on Monday, police launched a search after receiving reports that a swimmer had been attacked by a shark on a beach near the Israeli city of Hadera.
A shark swims past people in the Mediterranean Sea near Hadera (Ariel Schalit/AP)
On Tuesday, the beach near Hadera was closed off as search teams scoured the sea by boat and underwater equipment for the swimmer. The man's identity was not immediately known, but Israeli media said he had gone to swim with the sharks.
Israelis flocked in large numbers to the beach during a week-long holiday, sharing the waters with a dozen or more sharks. Some tugged on the sharks' fins, while others threw them fish to eat.
Dusky sharks can grow up to four metres (13 feet) long and weigh about 350kg (750 pounds). Sandbar sharks are smaller, growing to about 2.5 metres (eight feet) and 100kg (220 pounds).
Yigael Ben-Ari, head of marine rangers at Israel Nature and Parks Authority, said it was not known how the man believed to have been attacked behaved around the sharks, but he said members of the public had a responsibility to recognise that they should not enter the waters and definitely should not touch or play with the sharks.
Israeli Police were searching the area for a missing swimmer (Ariel Schalit/AP)
One video shared by Israeli media showed a shark swimming right up to bathers in thigh-deep water.
'What a huge shark!' the man filming exclaims, as the shark approaches him. 'Whoa! He's coming toward us!'
'Don't move!' he implores a boy standing nearby, who replies 'I'm leaving.'
The man then asks: 'What, are you afraid of the sharks?'
It would have been appropriate to take steps to preserve and regulate public safety, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel
The behaviour, some of which was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer two days before the attack, flew in the face of the advice of the parks authority.
'Like every wild animal, the sharks' behaviour may be unpredictable,' the authority said in a statement.
This would be just the third recorded shark attack in Israel, according to Mr Ben-Ari. One person was killed in an attack in the 1940s.
The area, where warm water released by a nearby power plant flows into the sea, has attracted dozens of sharks between the months of October and May for years. Mr Ben-Ari said swimming was prohibited in the area, but that swimmers entered the water anyway.
Israeli authorities closed the beach and others nearby on Monday (Ariel Schalit/AP)
'It would have been appropriate to take steps to preserve and regulate public safety, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area,' the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), an environmental group, said in a statement.
It said fishermen, boats, divers, surfers and snorkelers intersected dangerously with a wild animal that 'is not accustomed to being around crowds of people'.
SPNI said that further steps were needed to prevent similar incidents, such as designating a safe zone from where people could view the sharks without swimming close to them.
Israeli authorities closed the beach and others nearby on Monday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
UK investigators arrive in India as tributes pour in for plane crash victims
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed. It struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspecting the scene (Narendra Modi on X/AP) At least 25 more bodies were found in the debris by recovery crews working at the site until Friday evening, officials said, and it is unclear whether they had been on the flight or on the ground. The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has received 270 bodies, Dr Dhaval Gameti told the Associated Press. The sole surviving passenger, British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is still under observation for some of his injuries but is 'doing very well and will be ready to be discharged any time soon', Dr Gameti said. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) announced on Friday night that four of its investigators had arrived in India and have expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data. The 'release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities', it added. The black box flight recorder was recovered from a roof near the crash site and could reveal vital clues about the cause of the accident. Hundreds of relatives have provided DNA samples to help officials identify victims' remains A radiologist from Derby who had a 'newly discovered love of fish and chips' was on the flight with his family, the city's Hindu Temple said. Dr Prateek Joshi, who worked at the Royal Derby Hospital, moved to the UK from India in 2021, a colleague said. Dr Prateek Joshi (University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust/PA) Dr Rajeev Singh said: 'He often entertained colleagues with stories about his passions outside of work, including his newly discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District. 'It is hard to accept that a man with such a passion for life, and his beautiful young family, have been taken in this way.' Two sisters in their early 20s on their way home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday are also said to be among the victims. A cousin who lives in Ahmedabad said fashion designer Dhir and product manager Heer Baxi had an 'amazing aura'. 'They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world along with the parents,' Ishan Baxi said. Heer and Dhir Baxi with their grandmother (Family handout/PA) Both women knew 'what is right and what is wrong', he added. 'Right now, no one is able to come to terms because they both came here just to celebrate grandma's birthday but… they came, they celebrated, and they both left the world, everything is vanished right in front of our eyes.' A couple who had already lost their only son in a previous aviation tragedy were on the plane, said Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who leads the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London. 'This couple had gone to India for a religious celebration – they were coming back and now this has happened,' he said. Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji (Yui Mok/PA) 'After what has happened to their son as well – it's just terrible to think about.' A family of three from Gloucester were also on the flight, their family said. Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa were 'widely loved and deeply respected'. Ms Vorajee volunteered at a local Islamic school and was also a director of an organisation promoting understanding of the religion, an imam said. Mr Nanabawa ran a recruitment firm called Iceberg Recruitment Services which had a branch in Ahmedabad, according to the company's website. Speaking in Gloucester on Friday, Zaheera Nanabawa said her cousin Akeel was the 'glue' that held the family together. 'They were away as part of their trip to Singapore and Malaysia, before they went to India,' she said. 'This whole news is absolutely shocking and devastating for us, and it will leave a hole within our family.' Their imam, Abdullah Samad, said: 'This young family was incredibly close-knit – devoted parents and their beautiful young daughter.' The British survivor spoke of the horror of watching people 'dying in front of my eyes'. From his hospital bed on Friday, Mr Ramesh told DD News: 'I still can't believe how I survived.' The 40-year-old told the broadcaster the plane felt like it was 'stuck in the air' shortly after take-off before lights began flickering green and white, adding: 'It suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been in contact with him to offer consular support, Downing Street said. The crash site was visited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, with video footage showing him talking to Mr Ramesh in hospital.
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
UK investigators arrive in India as tributes pour in for plane crash victims
It struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspecting the scene (Narendra Modi on X/AP) At least 25 more bodies were found in the debris by recovery crews working at the site until Friday evening, officials said, and it is unclear whether they had been on the flight or on the ground. The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has received 270 bodies, Dr Dhaval Gameti told the Associated Press. The sole surviving passenger, British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is still under observation for some of his injuries but is 'doing very well and will be ready to be discharged any time soon', Dr Gameti said. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) announced on Friday night that four of its investigators had arrived in India and have expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data. The 'release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities', it added. The black box flight recorder was recovered from a roof near the crash site and could reveal vital clues about the cause of the accident. Hundreds of relatives have provided DNA samples to help officials identify victims' remains A radiologist from Derby who had a 'newly discovered love of fish and chips' was on the flight with his family, the city's Hindu Temple said. Dr Prateek Joshi, who worked at the Royal Derby Hospital, moved to the UK from India in 2021, a colleague said. Dr Prateek Joshi (University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust/PA) Dr Rajeev Singh said: 'He often entertained colleagues with stories about his passions outside of work, including his newly discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District. 'It is hard to accept that a man with such a passion for life, and his beautiful young family, have been taken in this way.' Two sisters in their early 20s on their way home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday are also said to be among the victims. A cousin who lives in Ahmedabad said fashion designer Dhir and product manager Heer Baxi had an 'amazing aura'. 'They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world along with the parents,' Ishan Baxi said. Heer and Dhir Baxi with their grandmother (Family handout/PA) Both women knew 'what is right and what is wrong', he added. 'Right now, no one is able to come to terms because they both came here just to celebrate grandma's birthday but… they came, they celebrated, and they both left the world, everything is vanished right in front of our eyes.' A couple who had already lost their only son in a previous aviation tragedy were on the plane, said Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who leads the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London. 'This couple had gone to India for a religious celebration – they were coming back and now this has happened,' he said. Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji (Yui Mok/PA) 'After what has happened to their son as well – it's just terrible to think about.' A family of three from Gloucester were also on the flight, their family said. Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa were 'widely loved and deeply respected'. Ms Vorajee volunteered at a local Islamic school and was also a director of an organisation promoting understanding of the religion, an imam said. Mr Nanabawa ran a recruitment firm called Iceberg Recruitment Services which had a branch in Ahmedabad, according to the company's website. Speaking in Gloucester on Friday, Zaheera Nanabawa said her cousin Akeel was the 'glue' that held the family together. 'They were away as part of their trip to Singapore and Malaysia, before they went to India,' she said. 'This whole news is absolutely shocking and devastating for us, and it will leave a hole within our family.' Their imam, Abdullah Samad, said: 'This young family was incredibly close-knit – devoted parents and their beautiful young daughter.' The British survivor spoke of the horror of watching people 'dying in front of my eyes'. From his hospital bed on Friday, Mr Ramesh told DD News: 'I still can't believe how I survived.' The 40-year-old told the broadcaster the plane felt like it was 'stuck in the air' shortly after take-off before lights began flickering green and white, adding: 'It suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been in contact with him to offer consular support, Downing Street said. The crash site was visited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, with video footage showing him talking to Mr Ramesh in hospital.
Western Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
UK investigators arrive in India as tributes pour in for plane crash victims
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed. It struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspecting the scene (Narendra Modi on X/AP) At least 25 more bodies were found in the debris by recovery crews working at the site until Friday evening, officials said, and it is unclear whether they had been on the flight or on the ground. The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has received 270 bodies, Dr Dhaval Gameti told the Associated Press. The sole surviving passenger, British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is still under observation for some of his injuries but is 'doing very well and will be ready to be discharged any time soon', Dr Gameti said. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) announced on Friday night that four of its investigators had arrived in India and have expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data. The 'release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities', it added. The black box flight recorder was recovered from a roof near the crash site and could reveal vital clues about the cause of the accident. Hundreds of relatives have provided DNA samples to help officials identify victims' remains A radiologist from Derby who had a 'newly discovered love of fish and chips' was on the flight with his family, the city's Hindu Temple said. Dr Prateek Joshi, who worked at the Royal Derby Hospital, moved to the UK from India in 2021, a colleague said. Dr Prateek Joshi (University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust/PA) Dr Rajeev Singh said: 'He often entertained colleagues with stories about his passions outside of work, including his newly discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District. 'It is hard to accept that a man with such a passion for life, and his beautiful young family, have been taken in this way.' Two sisters in their early 20s on their way home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday are also said to be among the victims. A cousin who lives in Ahmedabad said fashion designer Dhir and product manager Heer Baxi had an 'amazing aura'. 'They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world along with the parents,' Ishan Baxi said. Heer and Dhir Baxi with their grandmother (Family handout/PA) Both women knew 'what is right and what is wrong', he added. 'Right now, no one is able to come to terms because they both came here just to celebrate grandma's birthday but… they came, they celebrated, and they both left the world, everything is vanished right in front of our eyes.' A couple who had already lost their only son in a previous aviation tragedy were on the plane, said Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who leads the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London. 'This couple had gone to India for a religious celebration – they were coming back and now this has happened,' he said. Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji (Yui Mok/PA) 'After what has happened to their son as well – it's just terrible to think about.' A family of three from Gloucester were also on the flight, their family said. Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa were 'widely loved and deeply respected'. Ms Vorajee volunteered at a local Islamic school and was also a director of an organisation promoting understanding of the religion, an imam said. Mr Nanabawa ran a recruitment firm called Iceberg Recruitment Services which had a branch in Ahmedabad, according to the company's website. Speaking in Gloucester on Friday, Zaheera Nanabawa said her cousin Akeel was the 'glue' that held the family together. 'They were away as part of their trip to Singapore and Malaysia, before they went to India,' she said. 'This whole news is absolutely shocking and devastating for us, and it will leave a hole within our family.' Their imam, Abdullah Samad, said: 'This young family was incredibly close-knit – devoted parents and their beautiful young daughter.' The British survivor spoke of the horror of watching people 'dying in front of my eyes'. From his hospital bed on Friday, Mr Ramesh told DD News: 'I still can't believe how I survived.' The 40-year-old told the broadcaster the plane felt like it was 'stuck in the air' shortly after take-off before lights began flickering green and white, adding: 'It suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been in contact with him to offer consular support, Downing Street said. The crash site was visited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, with video footage showing him talking to Mr Ramesh in hospital.
