(Image source: Daily Mail/east2west news)
In a tragic accident a Russian mother-of-two was swept away in a frozen river and is presumed dead after jumping through an ice hold to mark a feast day.
According to the Daily Mail, the 40-year-old woman, who was a lawyer, plunged into the Oredezh River near Vyra, a village south of St. Petersburg. She was almost immediately dragged by the current which pulled her under the ice and swept her away.
Onlookers immediately went for help and her husband jumped into the ice hole to try and find her but he couldn’t see her under the thick ice. Her children were also there and can be seen on a video of the incident, screaming desperately for her.
The ice-dip takes place every year throughout Russia to mark the Orthodox Epiphany as it is believed that the water possesses special healing powers. Many villages have wooden frames and steps on hand to help people in and out of the water and also keep an ambulance on standby. The holes are cut into thick ice and the water that the woman jumped into was said to be around -5c. She crossed herself and held her nose as she jumped in.
Rescue divers were unable to locate her. A member of Russia’s emergency rescue team criticised the digging of an ice-hole at a place where the current was known to be so strong. He said that this was one of the most dangerous rivers in the area and is known for drowning, even in the summer months, never mind during the winter in very poor lighting conditions.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.