A diver is missing and is feared dead after being mauled by a shark off Israel's Mediterranean coast, in a tragic encounter that is uncommon in this part of the world.
Shocking footage posted on social media shows the victim flailing in the water near Hadera on Monday as the sea turned red, with bystanders screaming in panic.
The following video is graphic in nature. Viewer discretion is advised:
"I saw the diver in the depths of the water, he shouted, 'I'm bitten, I'm bitten' and waved his hands in the air," an eyewitness told Channel 12 News. "After a few minutes, sharks bit him, and suddenly he disappeared,"
Another eyewitness said they heard "screams". "I was in the water, I saw blood and there were screams," they told Ynet.
Footage also showed the shark swimming close to the shore, moments before the attack, with swimmers and children attempting the pet it.
The Hadera Municipality Coastal Department confirmed it was "conducting searches by jet ski to locate the diver and will continue to update as developments occur," urging the public to avoid the water.
Police and Magen David Adom emergency teams scoured the area after a 3.02pm distress call from Olga Beach, but no casualties had been located by the evening.
Israel Police stated: "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." Helicopters joined the search, while experts linked the sharks' presence to recent fish die-offs in nearby streams.
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel criticised the lack of regulated safety measures, stating: "Every winter, a unique phenomenon occurs in Israel in which sharks and rays gather at the outlet of the warm waters of the power stations... chaos has developed in the area."
The attack follows fatal shark incidents in Egypt, including a 2023 mauling of a Russian tourist and a 2022 attack on an EU official.
