Four Israeli nationals who were reported missing in the sea area between Cyprus and Israel have been located safely, bringing a positive end to a large-scale search and rescue operation.
The sailing vessel, which departed Israel on 2 December bound for Crete, was located today by the Cyprus Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC).
The JRCC coordinated the search operation throughout the day, activating the national “Nearchos” search and rescue plan in close cooperation with the authorities in Greece and Israel.te effort involved mobilizing Cypriot air assets and enlisting the aid of nearby commercial vessels.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed today that it had been working jointly with Greece and Cyprus to locate the missing sailboat.
In a related development, an investigation has already been ordered to determine the circumstances under which the vessel was permitted to depart from Israel, considering the standing weather warnings regarding the approaching storm system.