A search and rescue effort in Israel's north turned dangerous over Shabbat when a live grenade was discovered near a populated area.
Yulia Zatz, a 44-year-old resident of Kiryat Bialik, vanished from her home on February 15. The Israel Police's rescue units and the Israel Dog Unit (IDU), a nonprofit specializing in locating missing persons, conducted extensive searches for her in the city and the surrounding countryside. The search continued over Shabbat out of fear for her life.
While searching for Yulia, the IDU search dog Maggie, along with her handler, found a live grenade in a field near the city. Police sappers were called to the scene and neutralized the grenade to render the area safe for continued search efforts. At another time during the search, a hostile individual was spotted near the search area and tracked down with the help of the IDU's working dogs.
The searchers used a variety of means to try and locate Yulia, including dogs, drones, bicycles, ATVs, and a proprietary incident management software. Unfortunately, she has not been located, and anyone with information as to her whereabouts is asked to contact the Israel Police at 100 or the Israel Dog Unit at 0544876709.