Golan Yomtovian, 40, from the Kfar Netter moshav in central Israel, was spending Saturday at Netanya’s Poleg Beach with his wife, children and paddleboard when his relaxing family outing turned into a dramatic rescue. A beachgoer ran over shouting that three men had been swept out to sea. "The guy tried to help them but couldn’t because they were too far out," Yomtovian said.
Without hesitation, he grabbed his paddleboard and rushed into the water. “They were about 100 meters from shore. I managed to reach them—one of them was already underwater and vomiting. I grabbed all three and pulled one with the paddle. They were completely exhausted,” he said.
Brining the three men back to shore
Yomtovian described how the incident unfolded. “We were at the beach with the kids, surfing a bit, and then came out to relax. Suddenly, someone ran over shouting that three guys were drowning. This was in an unguarded area, after lifeguard services had ended for the day, near the Poleg stream outlet,” he explained.
Despite strong currents and rough waves, Yomtovian paddled out to reach the men. “I took the board and ran into the water. When I got to them, I put the upper half of their bodies on the board, while their legs stayed in the water. One of them had swallowed a lot of seawater and was vomiting. I sat with them there for 10 minutes, letting them calm down. They couldn’t move. They were spent.”
Once they regained some strength, Yomtovian encouraged them to kick their legs toward shore. “I told them: ‘Turn around and start kicking' and, after about 10 minutes, we made it back. One of them was still vomiting. The other two were in total physical collapse. They sat on the beach for an hour, unable to move, in disbelief that they had survived.”
The men had apparently been in the water for about 30 minutes, unable to return to shore due to a strong rip current. “People don’t realize how fast the ocean can turn on you,” said Yomtovian. “If I didn’t have the paddleboard, I wouldn’t have made it either. I would’ve gone down with them.”
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He added: “I wasn’t afraid to go in because I’ve been surfing for many years. The sea is my second home.”
After the rescue, Yomtovian learned the men were from Tayibe. “They were very grateful—hugs, kisses, the works. When someone’s in distress, I don’t hesitate. I go in—no matter who it is.”
Yomtovian also offered a message for the public: “The sea is beautiful and inviting, but it’s also dangerous. People often don’t understand how quickly things can change because of one current or one moment of inattention, and suddenly, you're fighting for your life.
“What happened yesterday could have ended very differently. Three young men nearly drowned just because they went into the water outside of designated swimming areas, and after lifeguard hours. People need to understand that, without a lifeguard, there's no safety. It doesn’t matter how strong a swimmer you are or how familiar you are with the ocean—the sea is stronger than all of us. If this story makes even one person think twice before entering the water alone, I’ve done my part.”