BANGKOK: The father and boyfriend of a Russian actress who tragically drowned after being swept off a cliff by waves while practicing yoga in Ko Samui have arrived to claim her body and perform a Buddhist funeral ceremony.
Police were alerted by staff at a hotel near Chaweng Noi Beach in Ko Samui, Surat Thani Province, on the evening of November 30, 2024, after a body was found washed ashore.
The deceased was identified as Kamila Bilyatskaya, a 24-year-old Russian national.
She had been swept off a cliff at a viewpoint on the afternoon of November 29, 2024. Her boyfriend confirmed the identity of the body.
This incident attracted international media attention due to Bilyatskaya’s career as an actress. Reports indicated she drowned while practicing yoga on a cliff in Ko Samui when waves swept her into the sea. Despite rapid rescue attempts, her life could not be saved.
A video of the incident shows large waves hitting her before she fell off the cliff and disappeared into the sea. Her body was found approximately 1 km from where she fell.
On Wednesday (Dec 4), Bilyatskaya’s father, Yevgeny, and her boyfriend, Sergey, arrived to meet with authorities and claim her body.
After coordinating with officials, they retrieved her remains from Ko Samui Hospital and took her body to Wat Si Thaveep for a Buddhist funeral ceremony.
The family held a simple, private funeral, requesting privacy during the ceremony.
The father and boyfriend were overcome with grief as they bid farewell to Bilyatskaya.
Bilyatskaya and her boyfriend had been in a relationship for five years and planned to marry in December. Tragically, her untimely passing prevented those plans.
Relatives revealed that after the cremation, Bilyatskaya’s ashes would be scattered at sea to honour her love for the ocean.
She often visited Ko Samui to practice yoga on seaside cliffs, a favourite activity she shared on TikTok and other social media platforms, where she had a large following.
On the day of the incident, Bilyatskaya had gone to Chaweng Viewpoint to practice yoga, as she often did.
Unfortunately, strong waves struck the area that day, sweeping her off the cliff and into the sea, leading to her tragic passing. - The Nation/ANN
