One of them told Israel’s Channel 10 news: "We were unable to escape the current and were swept away by the river.
Last night army rescue helicopters were searching for the missing hiker, believed to be a young woman.
Eli Bin, director general of the Magen David Adom medical rescue service said: "We are now in a race against time to find the missing [hiker] before it gets dark.”
Israel's President Reuven Rivlin urged the public to follow instructions given by the police, after severe weather warnings were issued.
He said: "Our prayers and thoughts are with our brothers, our children, and our loved ones who are in trouble. We are closely following the updates from the south and send a warm embrace to the worried families.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "We are all praying for better news."
