The Daily Mail reported that Stamford Hill, London-based Orthodox Rabbi Dov Berish Englander, 47, on holiday at the scenic seaside town of Aberystwyth in West Wales, “got into difficulties” while performing a full body ritual immersion.
Last Thursday, Rabbi Englander walked into the ocean for an early morning ritual bath. A guest at a hotel overlooking the bay rang 999 after seeing him struggling to stay afloat. A lifeboat and rescue helicopter were sent to the scene and the lifeboat crew pulled the drowning rabbi from the water.
Despite the efforts of paramedics to resuscitate Rabbi Englander, he was declared dead at Bronglais General Hospital, Aberystwyth.
Rabbi Englander was greatly respected for his scholarship and charitable work.
The seaside resort of Aberystwyth is a popular destination for Haredi families.
Police are not treating the incident as suspicious.
In June, Satmar Chasid Rabbi Chaim Breisch died after struggling in a rough sea off Broadstairs, Kent.
