An Israeli man, Barak Tzach, was attacked by a shark off the coast of Hadera earlier this week.
The victim’s remains were discovered nearly 24 hours later, on Tuesday afternoon, after officials shut down the entire area to carry out a massive search, aided by divers, jet skis, and helicopters.
The remains were then brought to the forensic institute for identification and were confirmed to be Tzach’s.
Like many other Israelis, Barak Tzach from Central Israel also retreated to the Ogla beach during a weeklong holiday.
The coast of Hadera is popularly known for attracting dusky and sandbar sharks due to its warm water that is released from the nearby Orot Rabin power station, the largest in Israel.
(Photo: Jack Guez / AFP)
Therefore, many people would also go to feed the sharks, which were found in the area from October to May.
However, Tzach’s relatives clarified that Tzach did not have any bait on him and only went in with a mask, snorkel, fins, and his tiny camera with the sole purpose of documenting the sharks.
“He went into the water to dive and photograph sharks, not to feed them or play with them,” Tzach’s family said.
A fisherman who witnessed the attack also narrated the same.
He said that Tzach was swimming with the sharks, while keeping his distance and photographing them.
“He photographed the sharks from a distance, but did not touch them or feed them,” the fisherman said.
However, soon the distressing event took place and was caught on camera by terrified onlookers.
In a video clip, he can be seen flailing around, crying for help as the sharks bite him and drag him further out to sea.
“They’re biting me!,” he yelled, according to The Times of Israel.
Onlookers were also terrified.
“They’re eating him, eating the man!” one terrified witness cried, according to a disturbing video circulating on social media.
One witness recalled being in the water when she saw blood and heard screams.
Another witness said that he and his friends were traumatized, expressing fear over the fact that it could have easily been any one of them.
Another man thought Tzach was fighting with the sharks, as can be heard in a clip, “Wow, wow, he’s with the shark, he’s fighting him.”
According to his family, Tzach tried to back away the sharks with his GoPro Stick, however it was all in vain.
This is the third shark attack recorded in Israel, according to Yigael Ben-Ari, head of marine rangers at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Another was recorded back in the 1940s.
Ben Ari said that swimming is prohibited in the area, yet people do not seem to adhere to the rules.
An environmental group, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, also released a statement saying that measures should have been taken to protect the public and minimize interactions between the sharks and humans.
As these animals are not “accustomed to being around crowds of people,” but fishermen, boats, divers, surfers, etc, have constantly been intersecting with them.
SNPI said that “chaos has developed in the area,” but steps need to be taken in the future to prevent any such incident from happening again.
You may want to read: SeaWorld Orca Who Killed Trainer And ‘Played With His Body’ Dies At 29
Safety measures should be put in place, such as safe zones from where people could observe the sharks from a safe distance without swimming up close to them.
While these sharks, swimming off Hadera’s shores for years, are usually harmless, their behavior is still “unpredictable,” according to an authority member.
The Dusky sharks can reach up to 13 feet long and weigh 750 pounds, whereas sandbar sharks are smaller, growing to about 8 feet and 220 pounds.
There have been multiple instances at the Hadera coast where these sharks and humans have been in dangerously proximity.
In a video shared by Israeli media, a shark can be seen swimming right up to the bathers in thigh-deep water.
