A young aspiring actress from Russia met a tragic end during her vacation in Thailand when a large wave swept her off a cliff while she was practicing yoga. Kamilla Belyatskaya, 24, was captured on video as the wave engulfed her on the island of Koh Samui, located in the Gulf of Thailand. Belyatskaya was in the middle of a meditation session on her pink yoga mat when the incident happened.
Belyatskaya was enjoying her holiday with her boyfriend when the unexpected wave hit on a Friday afternoon. The video footage showed her struggle against the powerful currents before she was overcome by the turbulent waters. A bystander tried to save her but was unsuccessful. The current condition of the person who attempted the rescue is not known.
Before the incident, Belyatskaya had shared her affection for the picturesque location on her social media, referring to it as her “home” and “the best place on earth.” Earlier that day, she was seen arriving at the Lad Ko viewpoint in a red car. She then went to the rocky area where she set up her pink yoga mat.
Rescue teams arrived at the scene about 15 minutes after the incident. However, the high waves, some as tall as 9 feet, hindered their efforts to reach her. Only her pink yoga mat remained visible on the cliff after she was swept away. Her body was later found two-thirds of a mile from the location of her drowning.
Chaiyaporn Subprasert, the head of the Samui Rescue Centre, said that warning systems were in place across the island’s beaches to alert tourists of potential dangers related to 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.
He added that while the location of the incident was not a designated swimming area but a viewpoint, the victim may have been caught off guard by the sudden wave surge. In response to the tragic event, the Samui City Municipality has closed access to the rocky area below the viewpoint.