On August 9, three people—a 15-year-old boy and two of his uncles—died in the Sunzha River in the Sernovodsky District of Chechnya. The men rushed into the water when the boy began to drown but were unable to get out of the river themselves.
The family had come from the village of Samashki to spend time by the river. While swimming, 15-year-old Yasin reportedly got caught in a whirlpool. Initial reports also indicated that the teenager had ended up in a deep hole on the riverbed.
His father and two uncles—Khamzat and Shamil—rushed to the boy's aid. However, the current proved too strong. Only the teenager's father managed to make it back to shore; Yasin and both his uncles perished.
Eyewitnesses pulled the victims from the water and attempted resuscitation, but they could not be saved.
Investigative authorities in the Achkhoy-Martanovsky District have launched a preliminary inquiry into the deaths. Investigators and forensic specialists are working at the scene to establish the causes and circumstances of the tragedy.
