Police widen search for hiker missing in Dead Sea area
Shai Yaakov Noam disappeared Friday and only his abandoned car has been found
Police widened their search for a missing hiker on Sunday after no trace of the man was found during the weekend despite extensive searches in the area where his abandoned car was discovered.
Shai Yaakov Noam, 31, disappeared Friday morning, and is believed to have been trekking in the southern Ein Gedi area, near the Dead Sea, as a winter storm walloped the country, bringing heavy rains and flash floods.
Rescue teams were sent out in force to search for Noam after police found his car in a parking lot near the Arugot stream trail.
In addition to the area where he was last seen, police were also searching around the capital, Jerusalem, and his hometown of Rehovot, as well as using intelligence sources to try to learn his fate, Israel Radio reported.
Weather conditions throughout the country were treacherous over the weekend, with heavy snowfall in the north and mountainous regions since Thursday evening, and torrential rain elsewhere.
Melting snow flowing down to the south caused flash floods that filled desert streams.
The Ein Gedi area, renowned for its cliffs, streams and waterfalls, overflowed with water during the weekend. Such desert floods are known for their beauty, but are also notoriously dangerous as water levels can rise rapidly, catching hikers in the swell. They have often proved to be a deadly attraction for nature enthusiasts.
Noam left his residence in Rehovot on Thursday afternoon and was last seen at 5:30 a.m. Friday at a local hostel. According to Channel 2, Naom tried to contact his family at around 7:30 a.m. but failed.
He is 1.80 meters tall (5’11”), heavy set, and has short brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing khaki pants and a white coat.
Authorities urged anyone with information on Noam to contact Ein Gedi’s emergency rescue unit at 052-3503487, the Arad police station at 08-9551222, or the 100 police emergency hotline.