A “BUCKET list” trip ended in tragedy after a tourist was taken by the current while participating in new health craze “ice floating”.
The 57-year-old tourist was carried away by a strong current during a group session floating on the Tuloma River, in Russia’s extreme north.
The unnamed Belarusian woman went missing last week near the Arctic town of Kola on what was her dream New Year holiday.
Since then, search teams have been battled thick fog, bone-cracking -30C frost and near-total darkness during the region’s polar night to look for her.
After rescuers searched out at sea and across the river without any luck, the tourist was assumed dead.
It’s thought she could not have survived longer than a few hours floating in the intense cold.
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Locals claimed the river section used for the tourist sessions can be treacherous as a result of tide patterns and strong underwater currents.
The timing of the 57-year-old’s floating expedition may have coincided with low tide, when water movement can intensify dangerously.
Ice floating is a tourist activity marketed across the Arctic as a safe way to experience the near-frozen sea without actually swimming.
Participants wear bulky insulated flotation suits, designed to keep the body warm in icy water.
The suits ensure buoyancy, letting participants float on their backs, to enjoy the ocean without freezing to death.
Promos claim it is “almost impossible to drown” while ice-floating.
Organisers advertise the chance to “swim with seals, if you’re lucky” promising an unforgettable adventure with professional guides, photographs and hot tea afterwards.
Because the suits are stiff and movement is difficult, ice-floaters are usually tethered or supervised closely in a controlled section of water, especially in rivers where currents can change quickly.
A friend, Oksana, described the missing woman as energetic and curious, saying she had talked for months about travelling to the Kola Peninsula to see “whales, the polar night, and everything connected with the unique features of that area.”
A similar incident reportedly took place on Boxing Day, when Indian and Chinese tourists were swept away during an ice-floating session – they were later rescued “by chance” when a boat happened to be nearby.
Russia’s Investigative Committee announced that the organiser had been charged, after investigators said the equipment used did not meet safety standards.
Officials said seized thermal suits were unsafe, with their service life expired and no required annual certification carried out.
The missing tourist’s distressed son-in-law told Onlíner: “My wife’s mother has gone missing… We only know that she specifically wanted to go there over New Year.”
He said: “She was not involved in any extreme sports and was just naturally an active person.”