Two 13-year-old girls drowned Saturday afternoon in the Jordan River during a family outing.
According to a preliminary investigation, three girls entered the water together near Lehavot Habashan. Only one managed to make it back to shore on her own and alerted authorities that the other two were missing.
After the first victim was recovered, Magen David Adom paramedic Eli Ben Zaken said, "Several hours ago, MDA's 101 emergency dispatch center received a report of a girl who had drowned in the Jordan River. After prolonged searches, Fire and Rescue teams brought us a 13-year-old girl who was unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. We conducted medical examinations, but unfortunately we had no choice but to pronounce her dead."
"Numerous police forces are at the scene, including a helicopter from the Air Unit, Fire and Rescue teams, and volunteers from the rescue unit," police said. "They are conducting extensive searches in an effort to locate the girls."
Northern District Fire and Rescue spokesperson Chief Superintendent Uri Cohen said that a group of girls swimming in the river reported that three of their friends had been swept away. Shortly afterward, one of the girls managed to make it back to shore on her own, while the other two continued to be carried downstream.
Israel Fire and Rescue Services' Northern District spokesperson said: "Firefighters, as well as teams from the Northern District's Special Rescue Unit, Israel Police officers, and the police rescue unit were dispatched to the scene. Due to the complexity of the incident, teams from Lahava, the National Special Rescue Unit, were also called in to assist."
According to data from the Beterem - Safe Kids Israel organization, 10 children and teenagers have died by drowning since the beginning of 2026. The organization also reported that 83 children and teenagers drowned between 2021 and 2025.
Orly Silbinger, CEO of Beterem - Safe Kids Israel, said, "Today's drowning incident in the Jordan River is further evidence that drowning is an extremely serious danger, particularly in open natural bodies of water. Since the beginning of the year, we have witnessed a sharp increase in drowning incidents, with the current number standing at three times that recorded during the same period last year. If this trend continues, 2026 could become one of the deadliest years [for child drownings] in the past decade."
She appealed to parents, saying: "Don't tell yourselves, 'It won't happen to me.' When it comes to teenagers, it is important to educate them about safe behavior around water, to strictly avoid drinking alcohol before entering the water, and in open bodies of water to swim only at designated locations where lifeguard services are operating. Entering the water as part of a group is also preferable."