A diver is missing and feared dead after being brutally mauled by a shark off the coast of of Israel.
The incident occurred in a prohibited swimming area near the Orot Rabin power station, in Hadera, according to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
Footage posted on social media showed the diver flailing in the water as horrified beachgoers watched from the shore.
The attack happened around 3:02pm local time earlier today at Olga Beach, with emergency services quickly responding to the scene.
The incident occurred at around 3pm this afternoon
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Authorities have closed all beaches in the area as search operations continue.
Shark attacks are extremely rare in Israel, with the last recorded incident occurring in 2013.
Terrifying video footage captured the moment the water around the diver turned red during the attack.
Other clips showed a shark swimming near people who were standing in waist-deep water moments before the attack.
The attack has shocked locals as dusky and sandbar sharks, which frequent the area between November and May, are not typically known to attack humans.
Equipment believed to belong to the missing swimmer was later found on the beach, according to Israeli media.
The Hadera Municipality Coastal Department said it was "conducting searches by jet ski to locate the diver and will continue to update as developments occur".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Footage posted on social media showed the diver flailing in the water as horrified beachgoers watched from the shore
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Police and rescue workers have been deployed to the scene, with helicopters scanning the waters for the missing diver.
"Forces are en route, but no casualties have been located so far," said the Israel Police in a statement.
Ziv Demeter from the Magnus search and rescue organisation told Channel 12 that a corpse in a diving suit typically floats to the surface.
"If he wasn't in a [diving] suit, this is where the problem starts," Demeter cautioned, adding that "the body could be swept away, and locating it could take hours or even days".
Marine biologists have noted that recent fish die-offs in the Hadera Stream and nearby Alexander Stream have attracted sharks to the shores.
The sharks eat dead, sick, and wounded fish as they enter the sea, helping keep natural waters clean.
Authorities have since closed off surrounding beaches in their search for the missing diver
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"Every winter, a unique phenomenon occurs in Israel, in which sharks and rays gather at the outlet of the warm waters of the power stations," said the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.
Dr. Adi Barash, who heads Sharks in Israel, told Ynet news that "a large number of people came to the area, which created gatherings around the sharks — something that should not happen and could lead to attacks."
The Nature and Parks Authority reiterated its warning "against interacting with sharks" and called "on the public not to approach the sharks, which are protected animals."
The attack took place in an area already prohibited for swimming, authorities emphasised.
"We urge the public traveling in the area to avoid entering the water and contact with sharks," the Hadera Municipality Coastal Department said.
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel has previously recommended that waters frequented by sharks be closed to fishing and that safe viewing areas be established.
