Rip Currents Cause 90% of Drownings on Israeli Beaches, Experts Warn

As summer peaks and hundreds of thousands flock to Israel's Mediterranean beaches, a hidden danger lurks beneath the calm surface: rip currents. These narrow, fast-moving channels of water flowing from shore back to sea cause 90% of drowning incidents along Israeli coasts. Unlike visible waves or whirlpools, rip currents appear as deceptively calm, wave-free zones, luring swimmers into peril.

The tragic drowning of the Spiegel brothers at Netanya beach highlighted this threat. Their father, Rabbi Shlomo Spiegel, recounted how the boys entered shallow, seemingly safe waters before being caught in a sudden rip current. Rescue officials explained that such currents are difficult to detect without expertise and can pull swimmers out rapidly.

Physically, rip currents form when waves push large volumes of water onto the shore, which then returns seaward through underwater channels in the sand at speeds of 2 to 3 meters per second, faster than an Olympic swimmer can swim. Psychologically, the calm water in the rip current’s path tricks swimmers into thinking it is safe to enter.

Experts from ZAKA’s diving unit and the Central District maritime police emphasize that fighting the current by swimming directly back to shore is fatal. Instead, swimmers should remain calm, float on their backs, conserve energy, and swim sideways out of the narrow current channel before heading back to shore with the waves.

Lifeguards mark safe swimming zones daily, and ignoring warning signs can be deadly. Dror Giles of ZAKA urged, “The signs saying ‘No swimming’ and ‘Swim only with a lifeguard’ were written in blood. If there is no lifeguard, do not enter the water.” The "Project 0" initiative aims to raise awareness and reduce drowning incidents this summer by educating the public on rip current dangers and survival techniques.