Russian swimmer's family in Istanbul: At the forensic medicine institute for DNA procedures
The family of Russian athlete Nikolai Svechnikov, whose body was recovered after he went missing in the Bosphorus, has arrived in Turkey to claim his remains.
12punto
Following the disappearance of Russian swimmer Nikolai Svechnikov, who was participating in the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race, in the Bosphorus last week, a male body was discovered during sea cleaning operations off the coast of Kuruçeşme, Beşiktaş. The teams conducting the cleaning work immediately reported the finding to the authorities and called the police to the scene.
Under police direction, teams from the Sea Port Branch Directorate recovered the body from the water. A short time after the incident, an official examination confirmed that the identity belonged to the missing swimmer, Svechnikov. The body, which showed signs of significant deformation, was sent to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute for a detailed autopsy.
In the past few hours, the plane carrying Svechnikov's mother, Ogalina Svechnikova, and his father landed at Istanbul Airport. The grieving family will go to the forensic medicine institute as part of the official procedures to participate in DNA testing.
Mother Ogalina Svechnikova expressed her feelings by saying, "They told me they found my son's body; I am very sad. Now I am going to the forensic medicine institute for a DNA test. After the necessary procedures, I will take my son's body and return to my country."
The incident was met with sadness in the swimming communities of both Turkey and Russia, and authorities stated that the body would be released to the family once the legal process is completed.