Swimmer Missing Following Extremely Rare Shark Attack Near Busy Tourist Beach: Reports

• A swimmer is reportedly missing following a shark attack off the coast of Hadera, Israel, on Monday, April 21
• The incident happened in an area where sharks are known to gather in the water, though they are usually harmless, according to BBC News
• “I was in the water, I saw blood and there were screams,” an eyewitness told a local media outlet

A man is reportedly missing after a shark attack at a tourist beach in northern Israel.

According to BBC News, the incident took place off the coast of Hadera, which is around 25 miles north of Tel Aviv, on Monday, April 21.

The outlet reports that footage on social media captured witnesses yelling during the scary incident.

“A short while ago, officers from the Hadera police station and the marine unit were dispatched to the Hadera stream following a report by individuals who claimed to have seen a shark attacking a diver in the water,” police said in a statement, per local outlet ynetnews.

Hadera Municipality’s beach division has launched a search operation using a jet ski, according to the outlet.

PEOPLE has contacted the Israel Police Department and Israel’s National Emergency Medical, Disaster, Ambulance and Blood Bank Service for comment.

According to BBC News, sharks are known to gather in the water where the attack happened, especially at this time of year, but they are usually harmless.

“We’re scanning the area to locate the diver and will update as needed,” Hadera Municipality said, per ynetnews. “We urge the public to avoid entering the water and to keep a safe distance from the sharks.”

The attack was extremely rare for the area, with the outlet reporting that this is only the fourth documented shark attack in Israel in the past 80 years. BBC News also reported that there have been no recorded fatal shark attacks in waters off Israel since the country was founded in 1948.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

According to local newspaper Israel Hayom, authorities found a bag and a bicycle that are believed to belong to the missing man, enabling him to be identified. The outlet reported that the man is in his 40s from central Israel and is a husband and a father.

Israel Hayom added that the man wanted to swim with sharks after seeing in the media that the creatures had been swimming on the Hadera coastline. Hadera River Beach remains closed amid the search.

“I warned him not to go into the sea, and then I got the terrible news,” a friend said, per the outlet. “His wife keeps calling me and I don’t know what to tell her. We’ve known each other for more than 20 years, we work and spend time together. He was supposed to be at my son’s wedding in two months. It’s hard to take in.”

Eyewitness told Eliya Motai told ynetnews of the attack, “I was in the water, I saw blood and there were screams.”

“I was a few meters from shore,” he said. “It’s terrifying. We were here yesterday and saw the sharks circling us.”