A lighthouse keeper on Shumshu Island in the Sakhalin region was reported missing and later found, then transported to Severo-Kurilsk for medical care. The search and rescue operation ended with the man located about 35 kilometers from a nearby lighthouse. Officials explained that a generator had failed at the lighthouse facility, and the keeper had left the Kurbatov lighthouse heading toward the Chibuiny lighthouse but did not reach it.
The mystery unraveled as the case unfolded. The failure of the lighthouse generator appears to have disrupted routine operations, contributing to the keeper’s decision to move between lighthouses before vanishing from the radar of the coast guard and nearby posts. The incident prompted a coordinated response across the archipelago, with responders reassessing the maintenance and monitoring protocols at the two facilities involved.
After two days without contact, two rescuers on snowmobiles, a police officer from the Northern Kuril region, and a volunteer joined the search on Shumshu. They located the watchman and escorted him to Severo-Kurilsk for medical evaluation and care. The operation showcased rapid collaboration among local authorities, law enforcement, and community volunteers in challenging weather and terrain conditions.
Earlier reports described a separate incident involving a tourist found frozen on the shore of a lake in the Leningrad region, underscoring the broader risks faced by travelers and coastal workers in remote areas.