Video evidence captures the tragic last moments of a Russian woman, Kamilla Belyatskaya, as she was pulled into the sea while practicing yoga on nearby rocks.
The aspiring actress Kamilla was on holiday with her boyfriend on Thailand’s Koh Samui island when she decided to unroll her pink yoga mat beside the ocean on Friday, November 29.
CCTV footage recorded Kamilla arriving in a parking area close to the scenic lookout shortly before 1pm local time.
The footage shows her retrieving a pink mat from her car’s trunk and proceeding to the viewpoint. Images from the location depict Kamilla seated on the rocks atop her yoga mat.
However, by 1:30pm, Bo Phut Police were alerted that she had been swept from the rocks. Witnesses observed Kamilla being engulfed by a large wave that carried her into the ocean, where she struggled to remain afloat.
A bystander attempted to enter the water to assist Kamilla, but was unsuccessful in rescuing her.
Rescue teams arrived around 15 minutes after the incident, but by then, only Kamilla’s pink mat was visible floating in the water.
Due to perilous conditions, authorities had to suspend the search after half an hour.
Chaiyaporn Subprasert, the head of Samui Rescue Center, highlighted the ocean’s dangers during this season.
“During monsoon season, we constantly warn tourists, especially at high-risk areas like Chaweng and Lamai beaches, where red flags indicate no swimming,” he said, according to Khaosad English. “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.”
Before the accident, Kamilla, 24, had described Koh Samui island as ‘the best place on Earth’.
She also expressed her affection for the picturesque rocky beach online, writing: “I love Samui so much. But this place, this rocky beach is the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Thank you, universe, for me being here right now.
“I’m very happy. I’m happy!”
Following Kamilla’s immersion into the ocean, her body was discovered over the weekend, approximately two-thirds of a mile from where she had been practicing yoga.