VANISHED AT SEA: Non-Stop Search for Teen as Brother Clings to Life in Netanya Drowning Tragedy
A 17-year-old Yeshiva student remains missing after a tragic incident at Netanya’s Kiryat Sanz beach. While his older brother fights for his life in serious condition, specialized dive units and police continue a non-stop search across the coastline.
The desperate search for a 17-year-old Yeshiva student from a Haredi family continued throughout Saturday without pause, following a double drowning incident on Friday at the Kiryat Sanz beach in Netanya.
While the younger brother remains missing, his 21-year-old brother, who was pulled from the water on Friday, remains in serious and unstable condition.
The Search Mission
On Saturday morning, a situational assessment was held led by the Netanya Police Station Commander, with the participation of the Mayor, the Director of the Beach Department, Fire and Rescue services, and specialized naval police units.
The decision was made to continue the search operations around the clock until the teen is located. Dozens of officers, volunteers, and municipal workers are currently combing the shoreline and the deep sea. The ZAKA Divers Unit was deployed to the scene shortly after the incident on Friday to perform underwater scans.
The Incident on Friday
The tragedy unfolded on Friday afternoon when the two brothers were swept into distress. According to witnesses, the 21-year-old was pulled from the water by bystanders who heard his cries for help.
"We arrived at the beach and found him unconscious... we performed strenuous resuscitation efforts and evacuated him while continuing life-saving measures," said Yosef Friedman, a senior MDA medic.
A Community in Prayer
The disappearance has sent shockwaves through the religious community. The names for prayer provided by the family are: