Amid growing demand from Israelis abroad to return home — and continued difficulty due to closed airspace — a second sea rescue in less than a week highlights the dangers of improvised travel.
On Sunday, nine Israeli nationals, including an 80-year-old grandmother and a 7-year-old child, were rescued by Israel Police maritime officers after the mast of their sailboat snapped en route from Cyprus to Israel.
Just four days earlier, the Israeli Navy rescued 14 Israelis, including two couples and ten children, from a similar yacht journey gone awry.
“Sailing from Cyprus to Israel on a sailboat takes 24 hours — a long and grueling trip for those unaccustomed to the sea,” said Chief Superintendent Ran Vered, commander of the Eastern Mediterranean sector of Israel Police’s maritime division.
“A yacht is a small, enclosed space. By the time people approach the Israeli coast, they’re exhausted — physically and mentally. We’re talking about nausea, vomiting, psychological strain. This is a clear and immediate danger to human life, which is why we act quickly.”
Gleb Smirnov, 34, a photographer from Holon, was among the passengers rescued on Sunday. “I waited a week in Cyprus to get home — flying wasn’t an option,” he said. “I met a friend from Holon, her son and her grandmother. We arranged a yacht, but six hours before departure, the owner demanded five times the agreed price. We found another Israeli skipper and set off at 10 a.m. yesterday on a small sailboat. There were also three soldiers trying to get back to duty, and another guy. It was tight. We vomited for about ten hours straight.”
Israelis on a yacht rescued en route from Cyprus to Israel
(Video: Gleb Smirnov)
Smirnov described a tense moment at sea: “At one point, the skipper went to sleep and I took over for five hours. About 90 minutes before reaching Haifa, we spotted land and got excited — then suddenly the mast made a cracking sound and nearly fell on us. It broke and started swinging violently. The skipper told everyone to get below deck and tried tying things down. I offered to help, but he insisted I stay below. I kept an eye on him to make sure he didn’t fall overboard.”
“With the mast down, he had no radio,” Smirnov added. “That’s when you’re still vomiting, stuck below, and can’t do much. Fortunately, a Navy boat must have spotted our distress and called in police patrol boats. The officers were incredible. They quickly evacuated us, calmed us down, and brought us ashore. My friend’s grandmother was in terrible shape — she vomited continuously.”
Vered confirmed the timeline: “Around 10 a.m., we received a report of a sailboat in distress, about 10 kilometers west of Haifa, with a broken mast. Without a mast, which functions as the vessel’s engine, the boat drifts uncontrollably — a dangerous situation in open waters.”
Two police patrol boats were dispatched from the Haifa base to the distressed vessel. As they approached the yacht, officers used a loudspeaker to calm the passengers. The police boats pulled alongside at the stern and safely evacuated all those on board. The skipper remained with the yacht and was towed with the vessel to the Kishon Marina.
Chief Superintendent Vered emphasized the risks involved: “We must remember that our officers are putting themselves in danger. The sea is an open environment — there are no alerts, no real protective measures and no nearby shelters. These rescues involve significant risk, especially at these distances, which can take 30 minutes to an hour of sailing. But the mission demands it.”
Smirnov, who arrived home later that afternoon, was still shaken by the ordeal. “It was a nightmare,” he said. “I’m never getting on a yacht or boat again.” Speaking with a mix of disbelief and humor, he added, “Honestly, I feel like I survived the Titanic. That’s how it felt — suffering at sea, suddenly throwing kids and grandmothers onto a police boat, then jumping in yourself. And just a minute before, you thought you were going to die.”
He urged the government to take stronger action: “The State of Israel needs to do more to send planes and get Israelis home. People are desperate to return. They’ve been stuck abroad for a long time, and that’s why they end up boarding yachts and sometimes risking their lives.”