THE MAN WAS SEEN STRUGGLING IN THE WATER JUST OF HADERA, NORTH-WEST ISRAEL, AS MORTIFIED CROWDS WATCHED ON. 20:09, 21 Apr 2025 A swimmer is feared dead after being mauled in a horror shark

attack in the Mediterranean Sea. The man was seen struggling in the water just of Hadera, north-west Israel, as mortified crowds watched on. Authorities have now launched a desperate search

for the swimmer. Local police have reportedly shut down the beach until further notice. As the Mirror reports, the shark was first seen swimming by paddlers in shallow water - sparking panic

amongst beachgoers who fled to the shore while others appeared to be happy to watch the predators. A short time later the shark was spotted attacking the swimmer by the Orot Rabin power

while the Hadera municipality’s Coastal Department said it is carrying out searches by jet ski to locate the male swimmer. The man's belongings were found on the beach. Footage uploaded

to social media also shows helicopters scanning the waters for the missing man. The incident took place in an area of the beach where swimming was already prohibited said the Israel Nature

and Parks Authority. It stated: “The Authority reiterates its warning against interacting with sharks and once again calls on the public to avoid approaching them, as they are protected

animals.” Dusky and sandbar sharks, which frequent the area during the period November to May, are not known to normally attack humans. But in recent days sharks have been attracted to the

shores of Hadera and Beit Yannai due to dead fish cast in the sea and there are more generally which has been put down to the warming of the water in the Mediterranean. According to Israel’s

Magen David Adom, the Israel medical emergency response organisation, “a report was received at MDA’s 101 emergency dispatch centre in the Sharon region about a man who was bitten by a

shark at a beach in Hadera”. It continued: “Medics and paramedics are currently searching the area," and added: "At this stage, the reportedly injured person has not yet been

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community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A police spokesperson, reported the Jerusalem

Post, said: "A short time ago, police officers from the Hadera station were dispatched following a report from citizens who claimed to have seen a shark attacking a diver in the water.

"We will continue to update according to developments. We call on the public travelling in the area to avoid entering the water and coming into contact with the sharks." Ziv

Demeter, of the Magnus search and rescue organization, told Channel 12 that a body in a diving suit floats to the water’s surface, helping it to be located. But he added: “If he wasn’t in a

[diving] suit, this is where the problem starts,” and he pointed out: “The body could be swept away, and locating it could take hours or even days.” Marine biologist Dr Adi Barash, who heads

Sharks in Israel and is a member of the IUCN Shark Experts Group, told the Ynet news site after the incident: “In addition to the fact that the conditions of the sea, including the depth

and currents in the water, were not suitable for swimming, a large number of people came to the area, which created gatherings around the sharks — something that should not happen and could

lead to attacks.” Article continues below Barash cited repeated cases where bathers have pulled the sharks’ tails and even entered the water with children in their arms, to “play” with the

predators. On April 17 two female dusky sharks were also seen approaching swimmers at a beach in Israel. Footage showed the two female sharks around 50 metres from people in the water at

Beit Yanai Beach.