An Israeli yacht that had been lost at sea since Monday, established contact with authorities and is currently sailing home ahead of Storm Byron, the Transportation Ministry announced on Wednesday.
"Contact with the yacht has been restored, and it's coming back to Israel," the ministry said. "An initial inspection conducted indicates that the ship was not in distress but merely lost contact."
According to officials, the search was conducted by Israel, Cyprus, and Greece and included radio calls, phone location, operations of sea vessels, and a helicopter search.
The yacht lost contact with the port on Sunday while sailing toward Cyprus from Ashdod, near the point at which the vessel should have approached the Mediterranean island.
The five people on board were confirmed safe after contact was reestablished.
Israel’s Shipping Authority was working to understand why the vessel was allowed to set sail despite the incoming storm.
Storm Byron reaches Israel, heavy rains expected
Storm Byron, which brought heavy rains and floods in Greece over the past week, arrived in Israel on Tuesday, the Israel Meteorological Service said.
Israel is set to receive between 100 and 150 mm. of rain, with the storm mainly hitting coastal areas. Rain is also forecast in the North and the Negev.
Winds from the storm are expected to reach 80 km/h. The report also noted concerns about possible flash floods in streams in the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea.
Two people have lost their lives because of Storm Byron in Greece due to flash floods. Additionally, infrastructure in the center of the country and on several islands has sustained damage. Some roads have also been rendered unusable due to heavy rains.
Shir Perets contributed to this report.