Horror moment tourist sitting on rocks above sea is swept off her yoga mat and drowns

Horror footage has captured the moment a tourist was washed off her yoga matt and into the raging sea at a Thai beauty spot.

Kamilla Belyatskaya, 24, from Russia, was caught on video as she sat on a pink foam mat on rocks overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. Seconds later, she was thrown into the swirling seas on the coast of Koh Samui, hit by a large wave which washed her into the frothing waters.

Harrowing footage showed her struggling in the surging sea as she is buffeted by waves. Police have said an unidentified man plunged into the sea after her, but he was also overcome by the waves and “both of them disappeared”. Investigators said in a statement: “A foreign man jumped in to help, but both of them disappeared.”

Locals reports state that Kamilla had been on holiday with her boyfriend, with the two having travelled to the Lad Ko Viewpoint to watch the waves. She was reportedly seen arriving nearby in a red car before retrieving a pink foam mat from the boot of her car and walking alone to the beauty spot, which offers sweeping views of the Gulf.

The mat was later spotted floating in the violent sea off Koh Samui, one of Thailand’s most popular islands. Rescue teams were hampered by the raging seas and while they arrived 15 minutes after she was swept into the sea, there was nothing they could do to save the tourist.

Her boyfriend and other eyewitnesses gave statements to local police on the tragedy as other local media urged people to remain alert for the dangers caused by monsoon conditions. Authorities have urged people to exercise “extreme caution” and avoid any rocky coastal outcrops during periods when waves are especially high.

Thailand is increasingly popular with Thai tourists, including men seeking to avoid being forced into Vladimir Putin ’s war against Ukraine. Around 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.

He said: “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.”

Thai 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.

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