Search resumes for brothers feared drowned off Ashkelon coast

Police resumed searching on Friday morning for three brothers from a Bedouin village in the south who were swept away by a powerful current at Ashkelon‘s Delilah Beach the day before.

“We will start [the search] this morning with the highest intensity with diving units searching the problematic area. A helicopter will join them, along with jet skis,” Police Superintendent Avi Tuval, deputy commander of the Ashkelon police, told Channel 10.

Tuval was skeptical of finding the brothers, and said, “We are making every effort to locate them. Based on past experience I can’t be very optimistic, but there have been instances in the past when the missing were found.”

At approximately 5 p.m. Thursday, five members of the family entered the sea together, ignoring instructions that forbade swimming in the area. Rescue officials reported that the five were trying to rescue one another, and eventually two of them did reach the shore, where they were treated by Magen David Adom medics.

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Helicopters and naval patrols searched the water until it became too dark to continue. Land crews were set to search the coastline overnight, in case any of the three managed to extract themselves from the water and reach the shore.

Tuval told Channel 2 on Thursday evening that “tomorrow morning we will resume the search at first light and at full strength, and hopefully we will find them.”