Russian man found dead in meditation position in pool at house in Phuket
A Thai man stumbled upon the dead body of a Russian man in a pool of a house in the Saiyuan Med Village in the Rawai sub-district, Mueang district of Phuket. The Russian man reportedly died while he was engaged in meditation beneath the water’s surface.
Officers from Chalong Police Station investigated the house after being notified of the Russian man’s drowning where they discovered the lifeless body of 23 year old Ivankiv Ivan Oliegovich at the bottom of the 1.8 metre-deep pool.
The revelation was brought to light by Anak Phumnarong, a 27 year old Thai man. Anak informed officers that Oliegovich had a peculiar habit of practicing meditation and yoga underwater. He would spend extensive periods submerged and Anak occasionally had to remind him to resurface from the pool.
Anak elaborated on the routine followed by the Russian man. Oliegovich would begin by meditating in the pool, then rise to bask in the sun, only to return to the water afterwards.
On the day of the incident, Anak arrived at the house at 9am for work and noticed the Russian man beneath the water. As Anak completed his tasks and prepared to leave the premises, he observed that the foreigner remained submerged. Since it aligned with the man’s routine, Anak did not consider it to be unusual and left the house.
However, upon Anak’s return, he found Oliegovich still immersed in his meditative posture. Concerned for the well-being of the Russian man, Anak promptly contacted his mother to recount the situation. Subsequently, Anak’s mother notified the village head, who then proceeded to inspect the situation, only to discover that Oliegovich had died.
The lifeless body was then transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a comprehensive autopsy. The police authorities intended to collaborate with the embassy in order to inform the family about this distressing incident.
