An aspiring actress was killed after a massive wave swept her away while she was practicing yoga on a cliff during her vacation in Thailand, according to reports. Disturbing footage shows Kamilla Belyatskaya, 24, being swallowed by the wave while meditating on a pink yoga mat on the island of Koh Samui, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, Khaosad English reported.
Belyatskaya, a Russian-born tourist visiting Thailand with her boyfriend, was unexpectedly hit by the wave on Friday afternoon, according to multiple local media reports. Her heartbroken fiancé has now revealed that the actress was just days away from getting married and the two had taken pre-wedding photos just days earlier.
Chilling Image of Death
The harrowing video captured Belyatskaya struggling against the strong currents before being succumbing to the churning waters. A bystander tried to rescue her by entering the water but was unsuccessful. The brave man's fate is currently unknown, according to the report.
Earlier, Belyatskaya had described the picturesque location as her "home" and "the best place on earth" in a social media post.
Witnesses reported seeing her arrive at the Lad Ko viewpoint in a red car before heading to the rocky area, where she brought out her pink yoga mat.
Rescue teams arrived around 15 minutes after the incident, but waves as high as 9 feet made it impossible for them to reach her, the outlet reported.
According to the outlet, only Belyatskaya's pink yoga mat remained visible after the wave carried her away.
Her body was later found nearly two-thirds of a mile from the site of the incident.
Chaiyaporn Subprasert, the head of the Samui Rescue Centre, said that warning systems are active across the island's beaches to alert tourists about dangerous swimming and coastal conditions.
"During monsoon season, we constantly warn tourists, especially in high-risk areas like Chaweng and Lamai beaches, where red flags indicate no swimming." Subprasert said to the outlet.
"While the incident location isn't a swimming area but rather a viewpoint for scenery, the victim may have been caught off guard by the unexpected wave surge," he said.
Fiance Devastated
Kamilla's heartbroken boyfriend, Grigorii Anokhin, said that he learned about the tragic incident involving his girlfriend of five years through social media. "I was still praying for a miracle, that my fiance would be found alive. I'm devastated, I'm heartbroken. We were going to get married in a few days," Anokhin said.
"I was devastated and immediately went to the area to help look for her," Anokhin added.
"I have been with my girlfriend for five years and we were planning to have a wedding in mid-December. We had already taken pre-wedding photos in the hope of living together when we returned to Russia."
Her boyfriend, along with other witnesses, provided statements to local authorities regarding the tragic incident.
"The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by monsoon conditions, with authorities urging visitors to exercise extreme caution and avoid rocky coastal areas during periods of high waves," said one Thai report.
Thailand has become an increasingly favored destination for Russian tourists, including men looking to evade conscription into Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
Over the past year, nearly 1.48 million Russians visited the country.
Chaiyaporn Subprasert, head of the Samui Rescue Centre, said that warning systems are operational across the island's beaches.
