A swimmer participating in a race went missing, with reports suggesting that he intentionally swam off course, sparking a baffling mystery. Nikolai Svechnikov, a 29-year-old swimming school owner and coach, disappeared while crossing the Bosphorus between Asia and Europe. Despite extensive search efforts involving 500 individuals and the Turkish navy, he remains unlocated following the event that had 2,900 participants.
His distressed 27-year-old wife, Antonina, made a heartfelt plea for any leads on her missing husband, emphasizing his journey from Moscow to Istanbul specifically for the Bosphorus Cross-Continent Swim. A new development emerged when a fellow participant claimed to have witnessed Svechnikov swimming in a different direction, seemingly avoiding the finish line deliberately.
The observer, Hayati Şamiloğlu, recounted calling out multiple times to the swimmer, who appeared to acknowledge but continued swimming off course. Şamiloğlu described the swimmer as competent and purposeful, dismissing the idea of distress or confusion. Despite all participants wearing tracking chips during the race, only recording entry and exit from the water without GPS, Svechnikov’s chip data indicated he did not exit the water.
While initial reports suggested the swimmer might have left the sea, ongoing investigations have not confirmed this. With rescue boats monitoring the event and no other missing participants reported, Antonina urged the public to assist in the search for her husband, providing details of his attire and appearance. Svechnikov’s mother expressed her urgency in finding her son, emphasizing his prior medical clearance and high-level swimming expertise as a Russian sports master.