Bloody shark attack at Hadera beach, search for missing diver intensifies

While these sharks typically feed on small fish and are not considered a threat to humans, experts caution that they can become disoriented and bite if provoked or confused.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

A suspected shark attack off the Israeli coastal town of Hadera on Monday prompted the closure of several nearby beaches, as police and emergency responders continue a large-scale search for a missing diver.

According to an initial report received by Magen David Adom emergency responders, a man was attacked by a shark in the water near the Hadera Stream estuary.

Although no body has been found, eyewitness accounts describe a violent scene.

“I saw a lot of blood. The shark ate someone. I heard someone screaming, ‘Save me, save me!’” said one man in Arabic in a video taken at the scene around midday.

Police officers from the local station and maritime police were dispatched after multiple citizens reported seeing the attack.

A bicycle and a bag with equipment were later found on the sand and are believed to belong to the missing man.

Rescue workers from the Navy, Air Force, Maritime Police, Fire Department, and Magen David Adom have been deployed along the coast as the search continues.

Police announced that the beach would remain closed until further notice. The Interior Ministry directed the Emek Hefer Regional Council to close the beaches under its authority.

The closures come just days after two sharks were spotted near Beit Yanai, sparking panic among swimmers.

Every winter, dozens of sharks, including the rare sandbar and finless sharks, are drawn to the waters near Hadera’s Orot Rabin power station. The power plant’s turbines heat the coastal water, attracting the sharks and earning the area the nickname “Shark Beach.”

While these sharks typically feed on small fish and are not considered a threat to humans, experts caution that they can become disoriented and bite if provoked or confused.

Recent die-offs of fish in the Hadera and Alexander Streams attracted more sharks to the shoreline scavenging dead and injured fish entering the sea.

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel criticized the lack of regulation in the area. “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,” the organization said.

“In such a fascinating and public-attracting phenomenon, it would be appropriate to take conservation and safety measures for the public, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area.”

The group noted that it submitted a professional review to state authorities four years ago, urging the government to ban fishing in the area, restrict motorized boat traffic, and establish safe observation zones for the public.

They warned that continued human activity—by fishermen, divers, and curious onlookers—could harm the shark population, which includes species that are endangered and not used to close human contact.