Diver killed in shark attack identified as Barak Tzach, remains retrieved
Barak, married and father to several children, was attacked while diving in the sea to document the animals • His family asked to put an end to claims that he played with the sharks irresponsibly
The remains of Barak Tzach, a 45-year-old man from Petach Tikva who was attacked and killed by a shark in Hadera, were identified on Wednesday, according to the police.
His family wanted to put an end to the rumors surrounding the circumstances of the attack in recent days, emphasizing that "he went into the sea to dive and document sharks, in no way was he acting recklessly."
Tzach leaves behind a wife and children. "With deep sorrow and pain beyond words, we announce the death of our husband and father, Barak Tzach," the family stated. "On the day of his death, Barak arrived at the beach after a day's work, as he often did. He entered the sea equipped with a snorkel, mask, fins and a GoPro camera, without anything else, and certainly not with fish or bait, contrary to the rumors that have spread."
Earlier reports said that he was fishing.
After identifying the findings, ZAKA emergency services decided to continue scanning the area to try locating additional remains for burial. Haim Weingarten, deputy director of operations in the organization, said that "additional scans are being carried out in the field by volunteers from the ZAKA divers unit and also by using marine sonar."
"Barak entered the water to dive and document sharks, not to feed them or play with them," the family said. "In a conversation had with a fisherman who witnessed the event, he said that Barak swum next to him and then drifted a bit in a more open area. He filmed the sharks from a distance but did not touch or feed them. When they started to get too close, he used the pole of his GoPro camera to gently keep them away. The fisherman called him to return to shore, and Barak started to swim slowly in its direction – and then he was attacked."
"The family asks to refrain from disseminating false or unfounded information, and to respect the memory of a beloved man who loved the sea and nature," the family said.
The incident occurred on Monday, as citizens reported seeing a shark attacking a diver in the water in Hadera. The police announced the closure of the beach to swimmers until further notice and the completion of the response. After about a day and a half of searches, remains were found Tuesday morning and transferred to the Abu Kabir Forensics Institute for examination.