NETANYA — The search for a 17-year-old reported missing after a drowning incident off Sanz Beach in Netanya continues, with ZAKA Search & Rescue’s Dive Unit maintaining round-the-clock maritime operations alongside Israeli emergency authorities.
According to officials involved in the effort, divers from ZAKA are operating in coordination with Israel Police maritime units and Fire & Rescue’s Lahava Unit, with aerial drone teams and shoreline crews continuing to scan offshore and coastal areas.
The prolonged operation reflects both the difficulty of the marine environment and the determination of rescue teams to continue until all search possibilities are exhausted.
Search Areas Expanded Northward
Officials said the search has evolved continuously since the initial incident last Friday.
As currents shifted and sea conditions changed, operational planners adjusted search grids and expanded search areas northward along the Mediterranean coastline. Drift analysis, underwater mapping, and real-time environmental data have reportedly been used to refine deployment decisions.
During calmer periods, divers entered deeper offshore waters, including rocky seabed sectors identified as relevant to the search zone.
Drone teams continued aerial sweeps while shoreline personnel conducted parallel land-based searches.
The combination of underwater teams, aerial surveillance, and coastal patrols reflects a multi-layered rescue model increasingly used in complex maritime incidents.
Dozens of Volunteers Involved
Dozens of volunteers remain actively engaged in the operation, according to ZAKA.
Those teams include specialized mapping analysts, jet ski operators, logistics personnel, shoreline searchers, and trained divers operating in difficult conditions.
“We are continuing to operate with full precision and full commitment,” said Chaim Weingarten, Chief of Operations for ZAKA Search & Rescue.
“The conditions change, so we adapt, expanding dive depth, adjusting search sectors, and integrating intelligence from currents and mapping systems. This is a highly structured professional search effort, and we will continue without pause until the mission is complete.”
Growth of ZAKA’s Dive Capability
The current mission has also highlighted the development of ZAKA’s Dive Unit over nearly two decades.
According to the organization, the unit was created after a 2006 case in which a missing person could not be located because no dedicated civilian dive response capability was available.
In the years that followed, ZAKA established a national network of volunteer divers. That capability was later refined into a smaller, more specialized operational group focused on underwater search, rescue and recovery.
Today, the Dive Unit functions as an integrated component within ZAKA Search & Rescue, combining divers, mapping technology, maritime support assets, and coordinated command systems.
“We learned over the years that underwater search is not about manpower alone, it is about precision, experience, and judgment,” Weingarten said.
Senior Officials Praise Volunteers
Dubi Weissenstern, CEO of ZAKA Search & Rescue, said the mission remains significantly complex.
“ZAKA Search & Rescue’s Dive Unit operates at full capacity in extremely demanding conditions while maintaining full coordination with all national rescue agencies,” he said.
“This is a long-duration high-complexity search. Our volunteers understand the human weight behind it and continue to operate with professionalism and determination.”
Moshe Rozenberg, ZAKA Search & Rescue U.S. Executive Director, also commented on the sustained effort.
“Whether in large-scale disasters or prolonged search operations like this one, our incredible volunteers remain committed to bringing clarity and dignity where uncertainty remains,” he said.
“The fact that this search continues nonstop for days reflects both the difficulty of the environment and the commitment of the volunteers in the field.”
Role of ZAKA in Israeli Emergency Response
Founded to honor the dead in accordance with Jewish religious tradition, ZAKA has grown into one of Israel’s most recognized volunteer emergency networks.
The organization says it has more than 4,000 trained volunteers operating across Israel 24 hours a day.
Its work now includes rapid medical response, search and rescue, water recovery operations, culturally sensitive burial teams, and international deployments to disaster zones.
ZAKA states that it serves Israel’s Jewish, Bedouin, Arab, and Druze communities and frequently cooperates with police, fire, and medical agencies during national emergencies.
Search Continues
As of the latest update, the search operation in Netanya remains active.
Emergency teams continue coordinated efforts at sea and along the shoreline, with divers prepared to re-enter water sectors as conditions permit.
For the missing teenager’s family, the continued search marks fear and uncertainty.
For rescuers in the field, officials said the mission remains unchanged: continue the search with professionalism, persistence, and dignity until answers are found.
