Four-year-old Yuval Kogan was found awake and in stable condition on Friday afternoon, more than 24 hours after going missing from Hofit Beach in Ashkelon on Thursday morning, according to a video posted to social media on Friday. Two horse riders participating in the search located the child on Nitzanim Beach.
Search Operations and Multi-Agency Response
“After many hours of frantic, non-stop searches for 4-year-old Yuval Kogan, who was last seen yesterday afternoon, the missing person was located a short time ago on Nitzanim Beach, safe and sound,” said the Missing Persons Unit in the Southern Region. Volunteer teams from the ZAKA Missing Persons Unit cooperated with Israel Police, emergency forces, and rescue workers, deploying all of the organization’s search and rescue equipment to locate Kogan. Hundreds of police officers and volunteers searched continuously throughout the night and day by air, sea, and land, utilizing technological resources alongside rescue teams.
Following the initial report of his disappearance, police dispatched helicopters, the Marine Police Unit, divers, the municipal rescue unit, and additional emergency responders to the scene. Search efforts concentrated along the shoreline and surrounding areas, stretching from the northern coast of Ashkelon to the settlement of Nitzanim.
Family Appeals and High-Level Government Involvement
As the hours passed prior to the discovery by the horse riders, concerns regarding Kogan’s fate mounted. “Almost 24 hours have passed since my son was lost. I beg anyone who can come help, any possible rescuers, I’m asking everyone to come,” Kogan’s mother, Dina, told Walla on Friday before her child was found. “I’m worried. I’m afraid it could be a kidnapping.”
During the search, President Isaac Herzog spoke directly with Dina Kogan by phone. Herzog expressed deep concern, offered support to the family, and confirmed his communication with Police Commissioner Daniel Levy and Shin Bet Director David Zini regarding updates on the search operation.
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