A shark attack was reported off the coast of Hadera on Monday afternoon. According to initial reports, a swimmer is missing and his condition is unknown. Magen David Adom emergency services said that as of now, the injured person has not yet been located. Police have announced the beach is closed to the public until further notice.
At 3:02 p.m., a call was received by Magen David Adom's 101 dispatch center in the Sharon region about a man who was bitten by a shark at a beach in Hadera. Paramedics and emergency teams have been searching the area, but the person reported injured has yet to be found.
Video: Shark attacks swimmer off the coast of Hadera /// Usage in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright Law
Simultaneously, the Israel Police said: "A short time ago, officers from the Hadera Police Station and the Maritime Police were dispatched to the Hadera stream following reports from citizens who claimed they saw a shark attacking a diver in the water. Forces are en route, but no casualties have been located so far."
Following the incident, the police have closed the beach to swimmers until further notice.
The Hadera Municipality's Beach Division has launched search efforts using jet skis to locate the diver. The municipality is urging the public to avoid entering the water and to refrain from interacting with the sharks.
"It was clear this would happen in Israel"
Reports of the shark attack have prompted all marine researchers in the area to rush to the scene to investigate. Experts caution that the circumstances of the incident remain unclear.
Still, professionals in the field of shark and large marine life research told Israel Hayom, "It was absolutely clear that something like this would happen in Israel. It was discussed just yesterday among researchers. Despite all the warnings and explanations that these animals must not be disturbed, many Israelis swam toward the sharks, petted them, and even swam around them holding fish. This behavior creates a classic situation for unhealthy contact with these predators, even with shark species that do not see humans as prey or seek contact with them. We must remember these are animals with significant attacking capabilities. That's why we continue to warn the public not to approach sharks in the Hadera area."
The sharks are drawn to Hadera's coastline due to warm water discharged from the Israel Electric Corporation's power station. The plant uses seawater to cool its turbines, and the heated water is released back into the sea, attracting the sharks.
Shark attacks in Israel: A rare phenomenon
Shark attacks in Israel are extremely rare. In 2013, a shark attack occurred after a shark was trapped inside a fish cage and lashed out in panic when people attempted to remove it. Before that, the only recorded incident was during the British Mandate period, when a police officer was attacked off the coast of Tel Aviv.
In 1974, a dangerous Mako shark attacked a German tourist in Eilat. The shark was captured the following day, and it was discovered that it had a disability that prevented it from hunting its usual prey, which likely led to the attack.
