Harrowing scenes at emotional beach memorial as family and friends pay tribute to gifted and determined teen who tragically drowned
- Ivan Korolev, 18, drowned at Sydney beach
- His life remembered at a beach memorial
Friends and family have gathered to farewell a teen who drowned while swimming with friends at a popular beach.
Ivan Korolev, 18, disappeared while bodysurfing with friends at Freshwater Beach on Sydney‘s northern beaches last Saturday.
His mates searched frantically in the water and continued their search on shore unsuccessfully before calling emergency services when he could not be found.
The teen’s body was recovered in the water the next morning.
There were sombre scenes at the same beach on Saturday as friends and family gathered for the memorial.
Ivan Korolev’s friends and family gathered on Saturday to pay tribute to the teen
Ivan Korolev, 18, disappeared while bodysurfing with friends at Freshwater Beach on March 4
Doves were released as part of the emotional ceremony.
Ivan was remembered as a determined young man, humble and shy, he achieved everything he put his mind to.
His mother Anna Kolotukhina broke down as she spoke about her son last week.
‘Apart from being my son, he was my close friend,’ she told Nine News.
‘The sheer happiness he went through in the last few weeks was just unbelievable.’
Mourners watched on as doves were released as part of the emotional ceremony
Ivan Korolev was remembered as a determined young man who achieved everything he put his mind to
It is unclear how Mr Korolev found himself in trouble in the water.
‘I was told he swam within a short distance of his friends and they were chatting and having fun,’ Ms Kolotukhina said.
‘His last words were ‘I’m so relaxed now I’m ready to fall asleep”.
‘God works in unpredictable ways,’ added Ms Kolotukhina. ‘He was ready’.
A GoFundMe launched by friend Alena Yusupova to support Ivan’s family following his death has raised more than $13,300.
Family and friends consoled and embraced each other during the emotional service
‘He was only 18 years old, a gifted boy at the very beginning of his adulthood,’ Ms Yusupova wrote.
‘He was always surrounded by loving and caring people who acknowledged his tender heart and his achievements in sport.’
Last month, 31 people died in Australia through drowning despite there not being many major flooding events.
High summer is often the peak time for drowning deaths in Australia. One in 10 deaths are from rescues gone wrong.
Ivan Korolev (pictured) was a gifted teen who had his full life ahead of him