An actress swept to her death by a giant wave while exercising on a popular tourist island in Thailand was just days away from getting married, her fiancé has revealed.
Tourist Kamilla Belyatskaya, 24, was swept away from a beauty spot on Koh Sumui just moments after filming herself on her yoga mat overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.
Harrowing footage showed Kamilla – who had taken pre-wedding photos with her partner days earlier – out in the swirling sea after being hit by a large wave and washed into the frothing waters.
Tragically, her lifeless body was found washed up on the island’s busy Chaweng Beach on December 1.
Kamilla’s devastated partner, Grigorii Anokhin, said he only found out what had happened to his girlfriend of five years from social media.
The 47-year-old said: ‘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.’
Kamilla, 24, was due to be married to her partner of five years, 47, in just days
She was seen sitting on her yoga mat as the waves grew stronger and stronger
Footage showed a figure in the water as harsh waves crashed down overhead
‘I was devastated and immediately went to the area to help look for her,’ Mr Anokhin said.
‘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.’
Officers said that rescue teams arrived moments after Kamilla was dragged into the sea.
But they could only see her pink yoga mat floating in the surf and the conditions were too dangerous for them to enter the water.
Jet skis, normally rented to tourists on the nearby beach, had also been moved inland due to the choppy sea conditions.
Police eventually dispatched two jet skis to search the stretch of coastline. Rescue teams were also sent out on foot to nearby beaches.
The search was called off at nightfall and resumed on Saturday morning.
Police said they received a report about the body from staff at a nearby hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Officers led tourist police, doctors, and paramedics to the scene whey they discovered Kamilla’s corpse around a kilometre from where she was pulled into the water.
A bystander had also reportedly waded into the waves to try and save her, without success. His fate is not known.
The tourist, from Russia‘s third city, Novosibirsk, had been visiting Thailand’s second-largest island with her boyfriend, it is understood.
She had gone up to the Lad Ko Viewpoint to watch the waves, apparently going on her own to exercise in front of the view.
She had told her social media followers how she loved this spot and repeatedly returned to the island, which she called ‘home’ and ‘the best place on earth’.
Kamilla is believed to have headed up to the rocks alone to exercise on her yoga mat
Kamilla had been sat on the rocks, apparently meditating, as the waters grew more violent
Kamilla was seen arriving in a red car with her mat before going up to the rocks
The waves grew increasingly violent before she was ultimately swept away
She had gone to the Lad Ko Viewpoint to watch the waves, and was seen arriving nearby in a red car.
She retrieved a pink foam mat from the boot of her car before walking to the beauty spot which offers panoramic views of the island.
Video showed her figure bobbing in the water as strong currents violently contorted the water, and waves crashed down overhead.
Rescue teams were also hampered by the raging seas.
While they arrived only 15 minutes after she was swept into the sea, there was nothing they could do to save her.
Kamilla had previously posted about the beauty spot: ‘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!’
Her boyfriend along with eyewitnesses gave statements to local police on the tragedy.
‘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 is increasingly popular with Russian tourists, including men seeking to avoid being forced into Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Kamilla Belyatskaya, an amateur actress, had travelled to the Thai spot to exercise
Moments before she had spoken to her followers about how happy she was to be there
The pink yoga mat was later seen on the rocks after Kamilla disappeared under the waves
Authorities arrived 15 minutes later but their rescue efforts were hampered by the currents
Some 1.48 million visited Thailand in the last year.
Chaiyaporn Subprasert, head of the Samui Rescue Centre, said warning systems were in place across the island’s beaches.
‘During monsoon season, we constantly warn tourists, especially in high-risk areas like Chaweng and Lamai beaches, where red flags indicate no swimming.
‘While the incident’s location is not a swimming area but rather a viewpoint for scenery, the victim may have been caught off guard by the unexpected wave surge.’
Local authorities have established a marine search and rescue centre to coordinate ongoing efforts to locate the missing tourist and the man reported to have gone in to save her.