Teenager Drowns Off Israeli Coast During Sukkot Holiday

A tragic incident occurred at the "Dalila" beach in Ashkelon on the evening of the Sukkot holiday when three young men went swimming after lifeguards had finished their shifts. Two of the swimmers were rescued, but a third, a 17-year-old, drowned. His body was discovered the following morning.

Magen David Adom received the emergency call around 6:34 PM. Police and medical teams responded quickly. The two rescued individuals, a 24-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy, were taken to Barzilai Hospital. The older man was in serious, unconscious condition and received resuscitation efforts on the beach, while the younger one was in mild condition.

The third swimmer, also 17, went missing. A large-scale search operation involving police, lifeguards, and volunteers continued throughout the night along the coast and in the water. On September 26th, paramedics found the 17-year-old unresponsive at the water's edge, with no pulse or breathing, and pronounced him dead at the scene.

This incident follows a similar tragedy three weeks prior, when a 23-year-old Yamam fighter, Itai Person, drowned off "Studenim" beach in Haifa while free diving. His body was found two days later. The results of the investigation into that incident have not been released by the police. Friends described Person as someone who loved challenges and was a talented member of the police force.