The body of attorney Raad Mahamid, a resident of Umm el-Fahm who went missing over a week ago in the Sea of Galilee, was located by navy divers on Saturday and removed from the water.
Mahamid, 49, went missing on July 22 after falling out of his boat while sailing with a friend and his brother-in-law. They were about half a mile from Ein Gev Beach when Mahamid tripped and fell over the side of the boat and into the water.
His friends threw him a life vest, according to the investigation, but he was unable to catch it. They followed with a lifebuoy, but he was unable to catch that, either. Soon after, they lost eye contact with him and he was lost. The body was discovered at a depth of about 110 feet, about 650 feet from the point where he fell.
His body was found after extensive searches by the police, IDF, ZAKA and regional councils, as well as various volunteer groups. He was eventually located using “advanced and extensive technological means,” according to a statement by the IDF and Israel Police spokesperson’s units.
Reactions to the tragedy that befell Mahamid
“There is little comfort now because the uncertainty was the hardest, and despite all of the pain, at least they found him,” said Mahamid’s older brother, Na’il, also an attorney, who has been with the search groups since Raad went missing. “This is his destiny. Everything is in God’s hands.... We all hoped. The heart said one thing and the mind said another, but Alhamdulillah [Arabic for ‘thank god’] and Allah had mercy.”
Na’il thanked the security forces that searched for his brother, despite the uproar seen in Umm el-Fahm claiming that they were not doing enough to find him and that the circumstances would have been different had the person missing been a Jew.
"There is little comfort now because the uncertainty was the hardest and despite all of the pain, at least they found him."
Nail Mahamid
Mahamid leaves behind a wife and three children.
Walla! contributed to this report.