Two children, a boy and a girl born in 2016 and 2017 respectively, disappeared at sea along a beach near Evpatoria in the Saki district of Crimea on 12 June. The Public Prosecutor’s Office press service reported that search operations by the emergency services had begun as part of a coordinated response to the incident.
A formal investigation has been launched into the disappearance in the Saki area. Currently, investigators and operational teams are conducting search activities to locate the missing children and determine the events leading to their disappearance.
The Crimea and Sevastopol Investigation Department of the Federal Tax Service for Russia (TFR) opened a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which concerns causing death by negligence. Law enforcement officials are treating the incident as a potential fatal outcome linked to parental or caregiver negligence while continuing to investigate all contributing factors.
Authorities have noted that there were no visible warning signs on the beach. A legal assessment of the situation will be carried out by the relevant ministry to clarify responsibilities and liabilities in this case.
Media outlets reported that bodies of children who were carried by strong seas near Crimea the previous day had been recovered, triggering further investigations. Reports from regional channels indicated that search and rescue operations had been ongoing for over a day and that authorities were intensifying their efforts to recover and identify any victims.
One account described a family moment on the beach when the children played on a mattress in the water in front of their parents. Authorities said strong winds and currents rapidly moved the mattress further from shore. Parents attempted to reach the children but were unable to reach them in time. The CHRONICLE Telegram channel quoted a local source describing the incident and noting that one of the parents is a police officer and the other a person with investigative duties, though investigators have not confirmed these details publicly. The father of the boy, Ivan Serov, recounted that the wind rose swiftly and pushed the mattress far inland, making it hard for anyone to reach the children. He also described diving attempts that lasted about 20 minutes without success.
The other parent, Sergei Voloshin, the boy’s father, added that the wind was very strong and that four adults who tried to assist could not reach the children. Eyewitnesses described windy conditions and a beach crowded with families, with many adults reacting to the unfolding event and trying to help. There were comments from a bystander that lifeguards were not immediately available and that emergency services faced challenges in mobilization. A local observer known as Alena, who spoke to independent outlets, noted that the weather was aggressively windy and that a motor boat and other rescue resources were eventually deployed as dusk approached, but the search stretched for hours while fatigue set in among those helping onshore and in the water.
Another perspective from a witness suggested that a floating ring, sometimes used for children’s play, may have influenced the pace of events in the surf. The observer reflected that equipment choices could alter buoyancy and handling in high seas, complicating rescue attempts. The witness also emphasized that there were no clear wind warnings at the time and no lifeguard on duty, and that early indicators of risk were not immediately visible to beachgoers or supervising authorities. The broader implication raised by responders and residents was the need to review coastal safety practices, crowd management on busy beaches, and the readiness of emergency response teams to mobilize quickly when sea conditions deteriorate. In the regional context, residents with longstanding familiarity with the Crimea coastline noted the importance of robust safety measures and proactive communication about weather and water conditions to prevent similar tragedies in the future.