A ‘bucket list’ trip to Russia‘s extreme north ended in tragedy after a 57-year-old tourist was carried away by a strong current as she went ice floating.
The unnamed woman from Belarus vanished during a group session floating on the Tuloma River in the Arctic town of Kola, south of Murmansk, during New Year’s Day celebrations.
Search teams have been battling thick fog, bone-cracking -30C frost and near-total darkness during the region’s polar night, when the sun does not rise above the horizon.
The tourist had travelled with an organised group to take part in a highly promoted Arctic attraction of ice floating – an activity in which participants wear special dry suits to float safely and warmly in frozen bodies of water. It is often promoted is a health treatment.
It is ‘almost impossible to drown’, according to promotion material, and is seen as offering unique relaxation.
Participants wear bulky insulated flotation suits designed to keep the body warm in icy water, ensure buoyancy, and allow participants to float on their backs, seeming to hover on the surface.
Because the suits are stiff and movement is difficult, ice floaters typically tethered or supervised closely in a controlled section of water — especially in rivers where currents can change quickly.
She is believed to have been floating for no more than 40 minutes before she went missing.
A woman is missing after she was swept away while going ice floating in the Russian Arctic. File image shows a tourist enjoying an ice floating session
Picture shows Russian Ministry of Emergency Services search and rescue team near the site where she vanished
Her distressed son-in-law told Belarusian outlet Onlíner: ‘My wife’s mother has gone missing… We only know that she specifically wanted to go there over New Year.’
Local residents have said the river section used for the tourist sessions can be treacherous due to underwater currents and tidal effects.
The timing may have coincided with low tide, when water movement can intensify towards the river mouth.
Rescuers searched out to sea and across the river – with no luck.
It is considered she could not have survived longer than a few hours floating in the intense cold, and is presumed dead.
A volunteer involved in the response explained why the search is so hard: because the sea influence keeps parts of the water from freezing, extremely dense fog can form when the air temperature plummets — creating near-zero visibility.
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.’
The woman’s disappearance comes after tourists from India and China were swept away during an ice-floating session last month but were later rescued ‘by chance’ when a boat happened to be nearby.
It is considered she could not have survived longer than a few hours floating in the intense cold, and is presumed dead. File photo shows tourists ice floating
Russia’s Investigative Committee are investigating the woman’s disappearance and announced that the activity’s organiser had been charged, after investigators said the equipment used did not meet safety standards.
Officials have seized thermal suits, which were deemed unsafe.
The president of the Kola Tourism Association, Elena Lanovaya, said that conditions on the water were severe.
‘The bay is steaming, visibility is extremely poor, and the place where the swim took place has a strong current.’
She added: ‘The guest was carried away… she was [rapidly] no longer visible.’