Remains confirmed of dad-of-four as wife 'tells truth' of fatal Israel shark attack

A of four tragically lost his life in a snorkelling attack, with his wife claiming he only intended to film the predators, never "touch or feed" them, as she "tells the truth" about what transpired before the appalling incident.

Barak Tzach, 40 years old, has been officially identified as the victim following an extensive two-day search, with police confirming that remains discovered at the Israeli Mediterranean coast attack site corresponded to the man. A harrowing video captured the moment the individual seemed engaged in a struggle with the creature amongst the sea waves at Hadera, much to the shock of onlookers.

An aggregation of dusky and sandbar , both endangered species, are known to frequent the waters near Hadera, which lures spectators. Some visitors have gone so far as to ruffle their tails and feed the sharks, behaviours which conservationists have implored authorities to prevent by deterring human-wildlife interaction.

The beach has recently become a hotspot, drawing crowds who were spotted swimming alongside the sharks. Officials have sharply criticised such actions and relayed warnings to keep a safe distance from the animals. Despite a prohibition on swimming at the location, individuals continue to wade into the water, reports

On Facebook, a woman recognised by Israel's press as Tzach's spouse remarked that he had donned snorkelling gear and taken an underwater camera into the ocean. She confirmed it wasn't his inaugural swim in these waters.

"Barak entered the water to dive and document the sharks, not to feed them or play with them," penned Sarit Tzach. She relayed that a fisherman accompanying her husband attested he neither touched nor fed the creatures." She declared: "With deep sorrow and wordless pain, we announce the death of our husband and father. I would like to put an end to the rumours that are being spread around the circumstances of his death and tell the truth.

"On the day of his death, Barak arrived at the beach after a day of 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 rumours."

As the sharks neared him, she recounted, he used his camera's stick to "gently distance them." The fisherman then signalled Tzach back to the shore, and as he made his way back, he was attacked, Ms Tzach detailed.

"In a conversation I had with a fisherman who witnessed the incident, I was told that he swam alongside a shark and later moved slightly away in a more open direction," she disclosed. "He filmed the sharks from a distance but didn't touch or feed them. When they started to get too close to him, he used the GoPro's stick to gently push them away. The fisherman called him back to shore, and Barak started swimming slowly toward him - and then he was attacked."

A shark attack, only the third on record in Israel, has left authorities and citizens on high alert. Yigael Ben-Ari, who leads the marine rangers of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, revealed that one previous attack dates back to the 1940s and had a fatal outcome.

Following the recent incident, police and rescue teams have launched a comprehensive two-day search, vowing to continue their efforts for any remains. In response to the dangers posed by the attack, Israeli officials have promptly shuttered the affected beaches and others in proximity to ensure public safety.

As Israelis crowded the beach over a national holiday week, they found themselves sharing the sea with numerous sharks, including dusky sharks-known to reach lengths of up to four metres and weigh around 350 kilograms-and the smaller sandbar sharks, generally measuring about 2.5 metres and tipping the scales at roughly 100 kilograms.

Terrifying footage has emerged online, capturing a large shark gliding perilously close to beachgoers wading in shallow waters. "What a huge shark!" a man can be heard exclaiming in the video, as the shark veers alarmingly towards him.

"Whoa! He's coming toward us!" In a tense moment, the man advises a young boy nearby to stay still, saying, "Don't move!" The unfazed boy simply responds: "I'm leaving." The filmer then challenges him with a question reflecting disbelief: "What, are you afraid of the sharks?"