The body of 45-year-old Sagie Mor, an Israeli father of four from the Golan Heights community of Kela Alon, was found Thursday morning off the Thai island of Koh Phangan, ending an intense search that began after he disappeared while trying to rescue his son from powerful currents.
Mor entered the water on Wednesday afternoon at Chaloklum Beach in the island’s north after he saw his son being swept away by rough seas. According to witnesses, he managed to push the boy close enough to shore for local restaurant staff to pull him to safety. But as Mor attempted to swim back, he was caught again by strong undertows. Standing on the beach, his wife and children heard him shout that he would try to reach nearby rocks before a large wave crashed over him and he vanished.
“I want to thank from the bottom of my heart the good people who tried to save Sagie,” his wife, Inbal, said. “Hundreds of volunteers searched all night, the Magen team, Clal Insurance, the Chabad House and the Foreign Ministry. We are now gathering as a family to cope with the terrible news.”
The search, launched immediately after the incident, was hampered by extreme weather conditions that grounded drones, slowed boat deployment and forced a pause in overnight operations due to dangerous seas. Thai authorities used jet skis, police boats and helicopters, while Israeli volunteers organized beach patrols and private watercraft searches. An improvised command center was established by the local Israeli community, which coordinated efforts with Chabad, the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok and the Thai police.
Search efforts
(Video: Tom Bartov)
Around 160 volunteers scoured the coastline during the night, though operations were repeatedly halted due to high waves. A rescue delegation from Israel’s Magen Search and Rescue team also flew to Thailand, including Mor’s relatives.
With dawn, volunteers resumed foot patrols along the beaches and search efforts in the water. Despite the conditions, search teams located Mor’s body on Thursday morning.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it remains in close contact with the family and continues coordinating with Thai authorities to assist with arrangements.
Mor’s death has shocked Israeli travelers and the local community on Koh Phangan, many of whom had joined the desperate overnight search in hopes of bringing him home alive.