Authorities closed a popular beach in the southern city of Ashdod on Friday after reports of a shark sighting, municipal officials said.
The city said swimmers were ordered out of the water at Beach 11 and a black flag was raised to indicate that the site was closed. Municipal security forces sealed off the area, while lifeguards conducted sweeps of nearby waters. Observations were also being carried out along adjacent beaches.
“We are checking the matter, and once there is certainty, we will provide an official update,” the municipality said in a statement, urging residents to stay away from the site.
The warning came months after a fatal shark attack off the coast of Hadera, further north. In April, Barak Tzach of Petah Tikva, a father of four, was killed when sharks attacked him near the city’s power plant, where the predators are often drawn by warm waters discharged into the sea.
Witnesses reported seeing a shark attack a diver, prompting a search that lasted nearly a day. His remains were found a few hundred feet from the site of the attack.
In a post confirming his death, his wife wrote: “With deep sorrow and pain beyond words, we announce the death of my husband and our father, Barak Tzach.” She rejected rumors that circulated about the circumstances, saying he had entered the sea with only snorkeling gear and a GoPro camera to document sharks, “not to feed them or play with them.”