The mother of a teenage boy who drowned in surf at Freshwater on the weekend is inviting the community to his send off at the same beach this weekend.
Ivan Korolev was bodysurfing with two close friends in the evening on Saturday, 4 March at Freshwater when he disappeared from view.
His friends returned to shore and raised the alarm, sparking a full-scale search through the waters and shoreline well into the night and early Sunday morning.
Sadly, his body was found just after 9am, and retrieved via helicopter and winch.
His mother, Anna Zolotukhina, said she held on to the knowledge her son was happy and having fun when he died.
Anna said he was the eldest of her three children; he had an 11-year-old sister and 3 year old brother. The family live in Cammeray.
Ivan loved outdoor pursuits and was a very enthusiastic Parkour participant. You can view his videos here: https://www.instagram.com/ivan_k0rolev/
“The key message [I want to share] is to live a healthy full life, be happy and fulfil your purpose on this planet,” she told Manly Observer.
“He was happy.”
Anna confirmed a farewell will be held for Ivan on Saturday at Freshwater at 5pm, and asked our help in letting the community know. “I would love to see teenagers there with their parents,” she said.
Manly Observer has liaised with Anna and Lifeline Northern Beaches, who have offered to provide grief support to those present at the farewell.
With his mother’s permission, we share these images of Ivan, who lived for adventure and, ultimately, died in one.
A Go Fund Me page is here.
