Search intensifies for Israeli yacht lost in winds near Cyprus

A multinational search and rescue effort involving Israel, Greece, and Cyprus is underway in the eastern Mediterranean after an Israeli yacht vanished amid severe weather conditions generated by Storm Byron. Authorities estimate that four people were on board when contact with the vessel was lost.

The yacht departed Ashdod Port on December 8 and was last heard from on December 9 night as it approached the shores of Cyprus. No traces of the vessel have been found so far, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

According to initial reports, the yacht disappeared in an area off the Cypriot coast that has been battered by winds reaching 100 km/h, part of the powerful storm system sweeping across the region. Cypriot authorities, who led the early stages of the search, coordinated closely with Israeli officials to deploy helicopters across a 200-mile radius off Larnaca in an effort to locate the missing vessel.

The disappearance coincides with the arrival of “Storm Byron” in Israel and neighboring countries. In Greece, the storm prompted widespread alerts, leading to school closures, flight disruptions, and damage to infrastructure including bridges.

Four Israelis were aboard the yacht at the time of the incident. According to foreign media reports, the IDF’s elite naval commando unit, Shayetet 13, has joined the search operation, working alongside the Greek Coast Guard as the mission intensifies.

By Vafa Guliyeva