The body of the second 13-year-old girl swept away in the Jordan River on Saturday afternoon was recovered after a five-hour search, Israeli media report. Both teens were found dead in the same area near Lhavot HaBashan.
The second 13-year-old girl swept away in the Jordan River was found dead at approximately 22:15 Jerusalem time on Saturday, concluding a five-hour search that began after the first victim was located. Rescue crews from multiple agencies recovered her body near Lhavot HaBashan, the same area where the first girl was found earlier in the evening. The Zioneer reported at 20:12 that a 13-year-old had been declared dead and that searches were ongoing for a second missing person; by 20:54, the desk confirmed the search was still active. Within two hours, the second body was recovered. The cause of death in both cases remains a drowning accident; no foul play is suspected.
As The Zioneer reported from 20:12 Jerusalem, the story unfolded rapidly: initial MDA paramedic reports of one death gave way to police confirmation of a second missing girl, followed by a series of updates as rescue crews expanded their search efforts. The first body was recovered by Fire and Rescue Service divers and pronounced dead at the scene. Israeli media outlets including i24NEWS corroborated the details, and the police and rescue services provided on-record confirmations throughout the evening.
Both girls were from northern Israel. The incident occurred in the Jordan River near Lhavot HaBashan, a known recreation area. As The Zioneer has previously reported, drowning accidents in this stretch of the river have occurred in past seasons, though no official warning was issued for this specific date.
No further missing persons have been reported, and no other details about the circumstances of the drowning have been released. Authorities have not identified the girls pending notification of their families.
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