Volunteers Find Missing 4-Year-Old Boy After Intense Search in Ashkelon

After a tense 24-hour search, four-year-old Yuval Kogan, who disappeared on Thursday from Hof Hofit beach in Ashkelon, was found safe at Nitzanim beach over the past weekend. Volunteers Netanel Biton and Noam Simchi, who located Yuval, described the powerful moment of shock and joy in an interview with HaOlam HaBoker. Simchi recalled seeing "a child sitting under a tree, completely desperate," unable to communicate with them initially. The breakthrough came when Biton called out "Yuval?" and the boy nodded in response. Biton described the feeling as "happiness hard to put into words."

The volunteers explained that their discovery resulted from a navigation error while searching on horseback, which they interpreted as divine guidance rather than a mistake. Both emphasized feeling a clear sense of "superior providence" that led them directly to Yuval at the right moment. Yuval's rescue ended a day of nationwide anxiety, during which thousands of volunteers and security forces participated in extensive search efforts. The positive outcome, which the rescuers called a true miracle, highlighted the deep mutual responsibility and community solidarity that emerged during the ordeal.