"We will not leave him in the lake": an entire city mobilized to search for the missing lawyer in Kinneret

Three days have passed since attorney Raad Mahamid, a well-known figure in Umm al-Fahm, fell from a boat, and hundreds of the city's residents went to the lake to assist in the search at sea and on land. As the hours tick by, concern for his fate grows: "We hope for a miracle, but we understand the gravity of the situation."

Yoav Itiel

25/07/2022

Monday, July 25, 2022, 1:41 p.m. Updated: 1:50 p.m.

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The search for Attorney Mahamid in Kinneret, today (photo: Walla! system, no credit)

In Kinneret, the search continues today (Monday) for the lawyer Raad Mahamid from Umm Al Fahm, who has been missing since Friday afternoon after falling from a boat.

Today, about 200 of his city's residents joined the search, going north in buses and in a long convoy of vehicles, dragging boats and jet skis with them.

This, following last night's call by the mayor of Umm al-Fahm, Samir Mahamid, who has been in contact with the police since learning of the lawyer's absence, a well-known figure in the city.

The volunteers conduct foot scans on the eastern shore of the lake, in addition to volunteer divers and boat owners searching for him in the water.

"We are not leaving Raad in the lake," Mahamid signed off his message, and such a group tag (hashtag), in Arabic, is already centralizing the reports on the searches, as well as the hopes and prayers for his return home.

"We will not leave him in the lake."

Attorney Raad Mahamid (photo: Walla! system, no credit)

Attorney Raad Mahamid, 49 years old, married and the father of three, works at the "Ryan" center in Baqa al-Gharbiyya, which deals with training to reduce gaps in the world of work. He himself is a member of a family of nine children, eight sons and a daughter. His father-in-law, his wife's father, died about two weeks ago , and after the grief that hit the family, he went out on Friday to cool off a bit in Lake Kinneret with his brother-in-law - his wife's brother, and with another friend. The boat belongs to a friend of the brother-in-law, a resident of the village of Zemer.

The incident took place on Friday afternoon when the three were about a kilometer from Ein Gev beach. Raad who stood in The boat, stumbled and fell into the water of the lake which at the time was wavy, with a strong westerly wind, as usual for this time of the year. According to their description, they threw him a life jacket but he was unable to catch it, and then they threw him a wheel and he was unable to reach it either. Then he lost eye contact with him and he has not been seen since.

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The search efforts conducted by the police for him include searches at sea from the air and on land and are also participated in by a marine police ship under the command of Corporal Walid Othman, a jet ski, volunteers from the Israel Police Diver Unit, a dedicated fire and rescue unit, a police helicopter, cavalrymen and policemen conducting searches along the beach

However, in Umm El Fahm, criticism has been heard in recent days claiming that the police are not doing more, as they would have done if it were a missing Jew, and as the hours tick by, the concern only grows. "The police are not doing anything," accused Attorney Ahmed Khalifa,

chairman

The popular committee of Umm al-Fahm also came to Kinneret to help. "We see two or three people in the PAK, they said there are more in the depths, but none of our people see anything there. I see volunteers. We don't see police here. The truth is, we We have no expectations."

The search in Kinneret for Advocate Mahamid, today (photo: Walla! system, no credit)

"People are stressed, so they constantly want to see the activity. In reality, it's probably a little different," the municipality explains, "the mayor is constantly in direct contact with the police both in the north and through the police chief in Umm al-Fahm, our impression is that they are working correctly, but due The weather and the winds and the waves and for professional considerations in general, they stop from time to time and there are those who interpret it incorrectly. Today you saw with your own eyes that they have added more search forces and are using advanced technological systems."

"There is a huge difference between yesterday and today," says the 59-year-old attorney Nail Hameed, Raad's older brother. "Yesterday there was a policeman and a half here and today we see a visible Senegalese presence.

They set up a situation room again like on Saturday.

We gave briefings to the volunteers.

Umm al-Fahm police sent four police officers who divided the volunteers from the city into four groups and are working with them.

What didn't happen yesterday happened today.

According to the police, they do operate at sea.

There are reports from jet skis that are not seen, but I believe the police are in deep water.

"Obviously the concern is enormous," he added, "Since Friday we have been living in a world of uncertainty. We hope in every way and in every situation to bring Raad home. After three days we are sober and understand the seriousness of the situation. But there is a wife, a mother and children. Miracles have happened and we will hope Lance".

The search in Kinneret for Advocate Mahamid, today (photo: Walla! system, no credit)

The deputy mayor, Tarek Abu Jarrour, is also with the searchers.

He knows Raad personally: they are the same age, and the two studied law together in Russia.

The two even planned a joint trip abroad. "We see forces here with close to 40 policemen," he confirms, "They told us that more forces are on the way, bringing sonar and called the navy.

We search in the thicket on the beach.

Not easy but I hope that with all the efforts and tools and with the volunteers today we will find him.

I am a realistic person but also a believer.

I have hope.

We are waiting for a miracle from God, for a higher power, that we will find him.

" "We are simply asking not to skimp on forces or means and to raise everything we need to help us find Raad," he added. "If something is missing in the budgets, we in the municipality with the people in the city will pay whatever amount is required To bring him home, even if the sea has to be turned."

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