A SWIMMER is missing and feared dead after being mauled by a shark in the Mediterranean Sea off the Israeli coast.

Footage posted to social media shows the diver flailing around in the water just off Hadera, north-west Israel, on Monday.

Other clips capture the shark swimming amongst terrified paddlers in shallow water.

People in the sea, including children, could be seen rushing back to the shore and screaming in terror – moments before the attack.

The beast headed a bit further back out and began mauling a swimmer.

The unfortunate diver could be seen thrashing as the water around him slowly turned red – apparently with his blood.

Footage uploaded to social media shows helicopters scanning the water for the missing diver.

Police have closed the beach while the rescue mission continues.

Channel 12 news reported that the shark also attacked a rescue diver.

The Hadera Municipality Coastal Department said it was “conducting searches by jet ski to locate the diver and will continue to update as developments occur”.

It added: “We urge the public traveling in the area to avoid entering the water and contact with the sharks.”

Emergency teams received a call at 3:02pm to an incident at Olga Beach.

A statement from the Israel Police said: “A short time ago, officers from the Hadera Police Station and the Maritime Police were dispatched to the Hadera stream following reports from citizens who claimed they saw a shark attacking a diver in the water.

“Forces are en route, but no casualties have been located so far.”

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel has reacted to the shark attack by saying it called on the state four years ago to regulate behaviour in waters sharks visit.

It said: “Every winter, a unique phenomenon occurs in Israel in which sharks and rays gather at the outlet of the warm waters of the power stations.

“In the case of such a fascinating and public-attracting phenomenon, it would be appropriate to take conservation and safety measures for the public, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area.”

Shark attacks in Israel are extremely rare.

In 2013, a shark got trapped in a fishing cage and bit when people tried to remove it.

Before that, the only recorded incident was during the British Mandate period, when a police officer was attacked off Tel Aviv’s coast.

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