Forensic investigation results confirm findings on Hadera coast belong to Barak Tzach, 40-year-old father of four from Petach Tikva.
The police have updated that the results of tests conducted at the Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed the identity of the citizen who went missing after swimming on the shore of the Hadera River and was attacked by a shark.
Barak Tzach, 40-years-old and father of four, was on his way home from work when he decided to stop off and go fishing on Hadera coast.
Yesterday, the police conducted an extensive search operation, with the participation of police forces, rescue units, and air and naval forces, aimed at of locating the diver. During the searches, several findings were located at sea and sent for professional examination.
Upon receipt of the test results, Tzach’s identity was verified. The police said that “the search will continue to locate additional findings and we express our sincere condolences to the family who was informed of the results. We will accompany them throughout the complex process.”
Tzach’s family commented on the rumors circulating around the circumstances of his death, saying that on the day of the incident, he stopped at the beach on his way home from work, and entered the water equipped with only a mask, snorkel, fins and a GoPro camera – without any fish or bait.
“He went into the water to dive and photograph sharks, not to feed them or play with them,” they said. “In a conversation I had with a fisherman who witnessed the incident, I was told that he swam alongside the shark and later moved a little further out. He photographed the sharks from a distance, but did not touch them or feed them. When they started getting too close to him, he used the stick of the GoPro camera to gently push them away.”
“The family requests that the public refrain from spreading false or unsubstantiated information, and honor the memory of a loved one who loved the sea and nature,” the statement said.
