Israeli Maritime Police Warn of Deadly Rip Currents and Urge Strict Beach Safety

During the summer break, thousands of young men and families from the ultra-Orthodox community flock to Israel's Mediterranean and Sea of Galilee beaches. Despite the inviting appearance of the water, the Israeli Maritime Police warn of hidden dangers, particularly the deadly "rip currents" that cause most drowning incidents. These currents are invisible channels of fast-moving water flowing from the shore back to the sea, capable of pulling swimmers out to dangerous depths at speeds faster than Olympic swimmers can counter.

In an exclusive interview aboard a Maritime Police rescue boat in Tel Aviv, commanders Meir Rotman and his deputy Kobi explained the physics behind these currents and the critical survival rules. They stressed that fighting the current is futile and dangerous; instead, swimmers should remain calm, float on their backs, and swim sideways once out of the current to safely return to shore. They also warned against using inflatable devices like air mattresses during strong east winds, which can rapidly carry swimmers far from shore.

The police shared harrowing rescue stories, including one where two sisters entered the water at night without lifeguards present; one was saved, but the other tragically drowned despite underwater resuscitation efforts. Another incident involved two yeshiva students who drowned after swimming at a closed beach without lifeguards. The Maritime Police emphasized that safety guidelines are written in blood and pleaded with the public to only swim at designated beaches with active lifeguards and to heed their warnings.

The article is part of "Project 0," a national initiative launched on Tisha B'Av aiming to reduce drowning incidents to zero. The next installment will explore the work of ZAKA divers and the critical "golden hour" in underwater rescue and recovery operations.

Summary: Israeli Maritime Police highlight the dangers of rip currents and east winds at beaches, urging strict adherence to safety rules to prevent drownings, especially among ultra-Orthodox youth during summer vacations.

Points: - Rip currents are the leading cause of drownings, pulling swimmers out to sea at speeds exceeding Olympic swimmers. - Fighting rip currents causes exhaustion and panic; swimmers should float and swim sideways to escape. - East winds create deceptive calm seas but can sweep inflatable devices and swimmers far offshore. - Nearly 100 life-saving interventions occur annually in central Israel alone. - Police recount tragic drownings of two sisters and two yeshiva students due to swimming without lifeguards. - "Project 0" aims to eliminate drowning incidents through education and strict beach safety enforcement.

Topic: security israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people":["Meir Rotman","Kobi","Moshe Mans","Israeli Maritime Police"],"organizations":["Israeli Maritime Police","ZAKA","Project 0"],"places":["Tel Aviv","Mediterranean Sea","Sea of Galilee","Israel"]}