Police recover remains of man killed in first fatal shark attack in history of Israel

Friday, April 25, 2025 

On Wednesday, police said they had located the remains of a man who was killed by a shark on Olga Beach in northern Israel on Monday. The victim was identified as Barak Tzach, a 40-year-old father of four. The shark attack was the country's first fatal shark attack incident since Israel's founding in 1948, and its fourth in general; the first shark attack recorded near this coast was a fatal one in the 1940s.

Tzach's remains were found in the same location where the attack occurred, after a search lasting two days; the beach had been closed by the authorities immediately after the attack.

Beachgoers at Olga Beach, some of whom were on holiday, witnessing the incident filmed it and posted it to social media. "I was in the water, I saw blood and there were screams. [...] It's terrifying. We were here yesterday and saw the sharks circling us."

Endangered dusky and sandbar sharks have reportedly been frequenting the location for decades, especially in winter --- possibly due to the warm water released near Hadera by Orot Rabin, the largest power plant in Israel. Tzach's wife stated her belief that his intentions were to film and document the sharks, not to disturb them.

Sources

• Tia Goldenberg. "Swimmer’s remains found after shark attack in waters off Israel’s Mediterranean coast" — AP News, April 24, 2025
• Raffi Berg. "Remains found after rare shark attack on swimmer in Israel" — BBC, April 23, 2025
• Ariel Schalit and Tia Goldenberg. "Sharks drew crowds who swam with them off Israel’s coast — until one man disappeared" — AP News, April 23, 2025