Three men drown in Mediterranean as warning issued over dangerous seas
Israel Meteorological Service says serious danger of drowning and being dragged from shallow to deep waters because of strong currents
Three men drowned in the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, leading meteorological services to issue severe warnings regarding bathing on beaches.
Two men in their 40s drowned between Friday and Saturday on the surfer’s beach in Bat Yam, medics said.
The Magen David Adom said personnel were called to the scene at 12:45 a.m. on Saturday and shortly after recovered one of the men’s bodies and declared him dead. The second man’s body was recovered afterward by police.
“We received a report about three men who went into the sea, but only two came out. We arrived at the beach with medics and paramedics. Initially, we retrieved a 45-year-old man from the sea, unconscious, without breathing or a pulse,” a paramedic said
“We provided medical treatment and performed advanced and prolonged resuscitation efforts, at the end of which we had to pronounce him dead. After a long while, the maritime police found another man without signs of life. We conducted medical examinations and, unfortunately, could only pronounce him dead.”
On Saturday morning, a 69-year-old man was found unconscious on the beach by Caesarea after drowning. He was taken to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center where doctors pronounced him dead.
Paramedics said they attempted to resuscitate the man and continued efforts while taking him to hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival.
A 21-year-old man also almost drowned in Tel Aviv and was taken to the hospital in critical condition after being pulled out of the water by bystanders, Ynet reported.
The Israel Meteorological Service had already issued a warning regarding high seas and strong currents on Friday, which stands until 10:00 p.m. Saturday and may afterward be extended.
The warning said there is a serious danger of drowning and being carried from shallow to deep waters.
They reissued the warning Saturday in light of the fatalities.
