A man who was involved in a shark attack that was caught on video has been identified after police confirmed that human remains were discovered in the vicinity.
The video, recorded on April 21 from a beach in northwest Israel, shows an onlooker calling emergency services as the event occurred, informing the dispatcher that a man had been ‘bitten’ by a shark and was ‘screaming’.
This incident unfolded on Hadera beach, leading the Coastal Department to initiate a search for the man involved in the attack.
On April 22, Cmdr. Aryeh Doron released a statement indicating that some remains were found during the search, stating: “We are on the second day of searches and are using every available resource. The police commissioner has directed all forces to assist. Several findings have been sent for testing, and we await the results.”
The statement further mentioned, “We are committed to doing everything we can to bring closure to the family and will continue our efforts until the missing man is located.”
By April 23, the police and the man’s wife both confirmed that he had passed away.
Authorities noted that remains were discovered at the scene and have been identified.
According to ABC News and local sources, the victim was a 45-year-old named Barak Tzach, a father of four from Petah Tikva.
A Facebook post believed to be from Tzach’s wife mentioned that he entered the Mediterranean waters with snorkeling equipment and an underwater camera. She emphasized that he was experienced in sea swimming and aimed to ‘dive and document the sharks’.
The post clarified that Tzach did not enter the water ‘to feed them or play with’ the sharks, and stated a fisherman, who was present with Tzach, confirmed that he did not touch or feed the sharks.
When the sharks appeared to approach too closely, Tzach is said to have tried to ‘gently distance them’ using his camera stick.
Tzach’s wife relayed that the fisherman called her husband back to the shore, but as he was returning, he was attacked.
Following the incident, a local police spokesperson advised the public to ‘avoid entering the water and coming into contact with the sharks’.
Hadera’s waters are typically inhabited by dusky sharks, which are generally not aggressive toward humans but can become agitated by swimmers’ actions.