Body of man found in Sea of Galilee after 4 days of searches

Rescue personnel on Saturday recovered the body of a man who drowned in the Sea of Galilee, following several days of intensive searches.

Israel Kisos, a 22-year-old from central Israel, went missing Wednesday after jumping into the water while kayaking. He was apparently swept away by strong winds.

Rescue efforts were subsequently launched, with a joint statement from the police and military saying hundreds worked to find Kisos.

His body was located Saturday morning and pulled from the water by soldiers in a naval unit.

Along with the police and military, emergency first responders and volunteers took part in the searches.

The Sea of Galilee is Israel’s largest freshwater lake, covering around 166 square kilometers (64 square miles). Its shores are lined with vacation sites that host tens of thousands of Israelis during the summer and other holidays.

There have been occasional cases of drownings in the lake over the years, often with bodies going missing for several days.