The 5-year-old Elad resident who drowned in the Kinneret on Monday has been identified as Yosef Yehuda Aaron z”l, the son of Ofir Aaron, a well-known resident of the community and a member of the local security team.

Two Elad families were visiting the Kinneret beach, an unauthorized beach, one without a lifeguard, when they noticed Yosef was missing close to 7pm. They immediately summoned police and United Hatzolah and Zaka units joined in the search, which involved marine rescue units. The lifeless body of the boy was found about two hours later and paramedics began advanced life support measures, but unfortunately, it was too late.

In another Kinneret-related matter, police on Tuesday morning reported finding the lifeless body of a 25-year-old Tzfat female who went missing on Monday in the lake between Barniki and Tzanabri beaches. Divers found the body during the morning hours. Tiveria police are handling the case. No additional details are available at this time.

Northern district Zaka commander Anshel Friedman urges bein hazmanim vacationers to only visit authorized beaches, those with certified lifeguards present.

And in yet another beach incident, a 16-year-old teen drown on a ‘kosher’ separate swimming beach in Ashdod. It appears the teen entered the water and began swimming on Monday evening, realizing the current was too strong as it was pulling him out. At about 10:30pm a call was received by the United Hatzolah dispatcher, but first responders arriving on the scene were unsuccessful in finding the teen. Baruch Hashem, B’chasdei Shomayim they did track him a short time later with the assistance of the powerful lighting on the ATV unit. Ultimately, the teen was able to swim to safety on his own; arriving totally exhausted and unable to speak.

United Hatzolah officials stress that swimming at night is dangerous, and in this case, the teen, who is an excellent swimmer, found himself being dragged by the undercurrent before he could take corrective action.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)