Sharks drew crowds who swam with them off Israel's coast — until one man disappeared

HADERA, Israel (AP) — Israeli police on Tuesday scoured the Mediterranean coast for a swimmer they fear may have been attacked by a shark in an area that has long seen close encounters between marine predators and beachgoers who sometimes seek them out.

A shiver of endangered dusky and sandbar sharks has been swimming close to the area for years, attracting onlookers who approach the sharks, drawing pleas from conservation groups for authorities to separate people from the wild animal.

Nature groups say those warnings went unheeded. Police and rescue workers launched a search along the coast after reports that a shark attacked a swimmer on a beach near the city of Hadera. Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority announced Tuesday afternoon they had found remains of a body, which was brought to the forensic institute for identification.

On Tuesday, the beach was closed as search teams used boats and underwater equipment to look for the man. His identity was not immediately known, but Israeli media said he had gone to swim with the sharks.

Israelis flocked in large numbers to the beach during a weeklong holiday, sharing the waters with a dozen or more sharks. Some tugged on the sharks’ fins, while others threw them fish to eat. Dusky sharks can grow to 4 meters (13 feet) long and weigh about 350 kilograms (750 pounds). Sandbar sharks are smaller, growing to about 2.5 meters (8 feet) and 100 kilograms (220 pounds).

Yigael Ben-Ari, head of marine rangers at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, said it was not known how the man behaved around the sharks. But he said the public should know not to enter the water when sharks are present and not to touch or play with them.

One video shared by Israeli media showed a shark swimming right up to bathers in thigh-deep water.

“What a huge shark!” the man filming exclaims, as the shark approaches him. “Whoa! He’s coming toward us!”

“Don’t move!” he implores a boy standing nearby, who replies: “I’m leaving.”

The man then asks: “What, are you afraid of the sharks?”

The behavior, some of which was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer two days before the attack, flew in the face of the advice of the parks authority.

“Like every wild animal, the sharks’ behavior may be unpredictable,” the authority said in a statement.

This would be just the third recorded shark attack in Israel, according to Ben-Ari. One person was killed in an attack in the 1940s.

The area, where warm water released by a nearby power plant flows into the sea, has for years attracted dozens of sharks between October and May. Ben-Ari said swimming is prohibited in the area, but swimmers enter the water anyway.

“It would have been appropriate to take steps to preserve and regulate public safety, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area,” the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, an environmental group, said in a statement.

It said fishermen, boats, divers, surfers and snorkelers intersected dangerously with a wild animal that “is not accustomed to being around crowds of people.”

SPNI said further steps were needed to prevent similar incidents, like designating a safe zone from where people could view the sharks without swimming close to them.

Israeli authorities on Monday closed the beach and others nearby and they remained closed Tuesday.

Goldenberg reported from Jerusalem.

Shark swim in Mediterranean Sea as Israeli police are looking the area for a swimmer who they fear was attacked by a shark on Monday, near the Israeli city of Hadera, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A man records video of a shark swimming in Mediterranean Sea in Hadera, Israel, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A shark swims past people in Mediterranean Sea in Hadera, Israel, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israeli police are looking for a swimmer who they fear was attacked on Monday by a shark, near the Israeli city of Hadera, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A shark swims in Mediterranean Sea as Israeli police are looking the area for a swimmer who they fear was attacked by a shark on Monday, near the Israeli city of Hadera, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A shark swims in Mediterranean Sea as Israeli police are looking area for a swimmer who they fear was attacked by a shark on Monday, near the Israeli city of Hadera, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

A woman reaches to a shark swimming in Mediterranean Sea in Hadera, Israel, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez picked the perfect opportunity to join another exclusive baseball club.

Cleveland's six-time All-Star became the first primary third baseman in history to reach 250 career homers and 250 stolen bases during the 10th inning of the Guardians 4-3 victory against the Minnesota Twins.

“At that moment, the last thing you’re thinking is any milestones or personal records,” Ramirez said through an interpreter. “To me it was where we had the chance to get running, obviously get in a position where I can score with a base hit given the situation of the game.”

Ramírez, who has 260 homers, got his 250th steal with one out in the 10th inning after he got aboard with an RBI base hit. The 32-year old native of the Dominican Republic is the 24th player to accomplish the feat, and the only active one in the majors.

He is also the first Cleveland player reach 250-250 and just the second switch-hitter, joining Carlos Beltrán (435 homers, 312 stolen bases).

“It’s a testament to hard work for a really long time and being really, really good for a long time,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “He came through big with the hit and then he gets the stolen base in the milestone and scores a winning run as well. He should have. He just continues to get accolade after accolade and I really enjoy watching it.”

After Kyle Manzardo got aboard on an intentional walk, Ramírez acknowledged the small crowd still at Progressive Field after two rain delays totaling 2 hours, 23 minutes, and pointed at the scoreboard when it showed he had reached the milestone.

“It was a good moment, but especially seeing all the guys on the dugout trying to cheer me up and chanting my name. So that’s kind of like something that make me smile,” he said.

Ramírez then scored the game-winning run on Angel Martinez’s single. He also made sure he got the base to add to his collection, saying he would add it to the three other bases he has marking other accomplishments.

Ramírez dazzles his teammates on an almost daily basis, so it's not a surprise to them that he's added his name to another elite list.

“He’s a guy that leads by example,” catcher Bo Naylor said. "He goes out there, plays his hardest, and when you see one of the leaders on your team doing that, there’s no excuse for you to not be able to do that. He takes on that role himself and just does such a good job of keeping all of us accountable without making his voice heard in a way.

“He’s one of the guys that makes this whole team go and every accomplishment that he’s had come along the way, it’s been super awesome to be able to witness it one and be able to celebrate it with him afterward.”

Along with the other milestones, Ramírez joins Robin Yount, Craig Biggio and Derek Jeter as the only players to accomplish the 250-250 feat with only one team.

“Milestones are important, but for me the really important part is to keep playing and trying to win,” said Ramirez, who made his big-league debut in 2013 “Winning is the most important thing for me and I feel still young. I feel like I can still continue doing this and hopefully we can continue adding up.”

Freelancer Tom Withers contributed to this story.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez, center front, runs home with the winning run on a hit by Angel Martinez in the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Cleveland, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez, right, celebrates with teammate Daniel Schneemann (10) after scoring the winning run in the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Cleveland, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez reacts after stealing second base, his 250th career steal, in the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Cleveland, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez (11) steals second base, his 250th career steal, under the tag of Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (4) in the 10th inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez dives back into first base on a pickoff-attempt in the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Cleveland, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez tosses his bat as he watches his single in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Jose Ramirez (11) steals second base in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Cleveland, Wednesday, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)