Footage is circulating on the internet of a diver being viciously attacked by sharks before he went missing in Israel. The diver was attacked while swimming at Hadera on Monday. The disturbing video filmed by a stunned beachgoer at Olga Beach captured the man struggling in the water as he yelled that he was being bitten.
The helpless beachgoers can be heard screaming in disbelief as the swimmer thrashes in the water. Glimpses of sharks can be seen around the swimmer at certain points, and blood can be seen in the water. The horror continued when the swimmer vanished under the water, which was the last time he was ever seen.
According to a report, the swimmer was several hundred feet offshore when the rare shark attack happened. The swimmer has since gone missing, prompting the immediate closure of the beach. The attack occurred in an area known for seasonal shark gatherings near the Orot Rabin power station, approximately 40 kilometres north of Tel Aviv.
The plant discharges warm water into the sea, drawing both sharks and fish, which has made the location a frequent spot for shark sightings. While sharks typically gather there, they rarely ever target swimmers, per reports. According to reports, species such as dusky and sandbar sharks frequent the Hadera area.
Eyewitness Eliya Motai described the incident as ‘terrifying” while recounting the chilling scene to Israeli news outlet Ynet. “I was in the water; I saw blood, and there were screams. I was a few metres from shore,” he said. “It’s terrifying. We were here yesterday and saw the sharks circling us.”
Authorities launched a search operation for the missing diver. Rescue efforts continued on Tuesday, but there has been no trace of the swimmer as of Tuesday morning. This incident is being labelled a rare one, as Israel has only documented four shark attacks in its history. Additionally, there have been no fatalities from shark attacks since the country’s establishment in 1948.
