Man’s body pulled out of water at Jaffa port
Since beginning of July, 15 people have drowned across the country
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The body of an apparent drowning victim was pulled from the water at the Jaffa Port on Wednesday morning. Magen David Adom paramedics called to the scene confirmed the man’s death.
The man was the fifteenth person to drown in Israel in July. Another 49 people have been involved in near drowning incidents since the beginning of the month.
According to data released earlier this week by Magen David Adom, 59 of the 64 water-related accidents, including 14 of the deaths, took place on Israel’s beaches, with the remaining five incidents occurring at swimming pools. Of the 49 nonfatal incidents, three people were transferred to the hospital in serious condition, and four were in moderate condition. The rest were either transferred with only light injuries, or treated on the spot.
Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth cited a veteran Tel Aviv lifeguard as saying that a vast majority of the incidents have taken place at beaches that had no lifeguard on duty.
“It’s all because of the laziness of swimmers,” said the unnamed lifeguard. “They arrive at a beach with no lifeguard, they know that just a few hundred meters away there is a lifeguard, but they get lazy and convince themselves that it will be alright.”
The lifeguard cautioned that in July and August the sea is especially dangerous, with strong currents and big waves that belie the seemingly calm waters.
Avi Afiah, chairman of the Israel Lifeguard Association, was quoted in Yedioth as saying that the water off of Israel’s coast this summer has been even rougher and more dangerous than previous summers.
The Times of Israel Community.