Pictures courtesy of Khaosod.

 

A Russian man lost his life after heroically saving his girlfriend, during a late-night swim off Phuket’s Andaman White Beach.

 

The incident occurred near the stretch between Banana Beach and Nai Thon Beach in Thalang district, when 35-year-old Denis Konenkov and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Kamila Sharipova, went for a swim. According to Sharipova, as waves became dangerously strong, Konenkov pushed her to shore before being swept away by the current himself.

 

Rescue and search efforts began early on 21 August, with more than 10 divers from the Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation, a rescue boat and local emergency personnel from Sakoo subdistrict working in two search teams, one patrolling the sea and the other combing the rocks and shoreline.

 

At 15:10, Konenkov’s body was recovered from the water, near the spot where he disappeared.

 

Authorities transported the body to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a full post-mortem examination. The Sakoo police are coordinating with Sharipova and the Russian embassy to confirm the identity and confirm the exact cause of death.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-08-22

 

 

 

In my experience the only reason people go swimming at that time of the night is they go Skinny Dipping, Ive seen people on Nai Harn beach in the past, 

I'm not seeing politics in this.

He did his best to save her life and also presumably his own. 

He was a brave man. 

Not everyone is that brave to even try.

Or perhaps stupid if you can't swim well. 

I was rescued as a child from drowning in the ocean by three stranger men (not lifeguards). Happily they were very strong swimmers.

BTW -- they were Latin American Spanish speakers in the U.S. It didn't occur to me at the time to ask about their immigration status.

So I can always personally relate to ocean rescue news.

Bickering posts removed

22 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I'm not seeing politics in this.

He did his best to save her life and also presumably his own. 

He was a brave man. 

Not everyone is that brave to even try.

Or perhaps stupid if you can't swim well. 

I was rescued as a child from drowning in the ocean by three stranger men (not lifeguards). Happily they were very strong swimmers.

BTW -- they were Latin American Spanish speakers in the U.S. It didn't occur to me at the time to ask about their immigration status.

So I can always personally relate to ocean rescue news.

Had to be very scary as a child.  Water is a hard thing to fight against.

1 minute ago, thaipo7 said:

Had to be very scary as a child.  Water is a hard thing to fight against.

Rip tide plus there were sharks. 

My life is worth more than my Girlfriend...

 

 

On 8/22/2025 at 4:41 AM, Georgealbert said:

The incident occurred near the stretch between Banana Beach and Nai Thon Beach in Thalang district, when 35-year-old Denis Konenkov and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Kamila Sharipova, went for a swim. According to Sharipova, as waves became dangerously strong, Konenkov pushed her to shore before being swept away by the current himself.

Brave man, paid with his life... she'll have to live with that last action for the rest of her life.

8 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

My life is worth more than my Girlfriend...

 

 

Based upon your comment, I doubt it.

1 hour ago, Taboo2 said:

My life is worth more than my Girlfriend...

 

 

Maybe for you.

 

I doubt he knew the outcome though.

1 hour ago, TimBKK said:

Based upon your comment, I doubt it.

She is alive to find another guy....ok.

 

I prefer to be alive. 

 

 

1 hour ago, Taboo2 said:

My life is worth more than my Girlfriend...

 

 

How's your GF feel about that? You have told her like you told us haven't you?

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Brave man, paid with his life... she'll have to live with that last action for the rest of her life.

hardly her fault, causality is a bitch.

2 hours ago, Taboo2 said:

My life is worth more than my Girlfriend...

 

 

Are you going to make that clear to HER?

1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

hardly her fault, causality is a bitch.

Swimming in  sea beyond her capability is her fault.

On 8/22/2025 at 1:52 PM, Jingthing said:

I'm not seeing politics in this.

He did his best to save her life and also presumably his own. 

He was a brave man. 

Not everyone is that brave to even try.

Or perhaps stupid if you can't swim well. 

I was rescued as a child from drowning in the ocean by three stranger men (not lifeguards). Happily they were very strong swimmers.

BTW -- they were Latin American Spanish speakers in the U.S. It didn't occur to me at the time to ask about their immigration status.

So I can always personally relate to ocean rescue news.

 

How did you end up in a shark infested riptide-prone beach as a child?

49 minutes ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

 

How did you end up in a shark infested riptide-prone beach as a child?

Miami beach.

Age 12.

Low level swimmer.

Thus the Latin Americans.

No lifeguards.

I was told later that  sharks were sighred further out that morning.

Relaxing on an inflatable raft in shallow water.

Then within seconds a current swept me far offshore way past all others on the beach.

I hung on to the raft for dear life not knowing whether that was smart but small chance of swimming out of it without the raft so I guess smart.

So then I yelled for help. In English. 

Amazingly and very quickly three hairy very athletic Latin Americans looking to be in their 30s swam out and rescued me.

Weirdly I don't have a clear memory of whether they brought me in on the raft or ditched the raft but probably still on the raft.

They were lifeguard level swimmers but as said it was a beach without lifeguards so incredible luck that they were there at the right moment.

Traumatized of course I did my best to thank them but what can a kid say that would be adequate.

My family was on the beach but I don't know much they saw. It happened so fast and they couldn't have rescued me anyway.

Later that afternoon it was decided that I should visit the beach again dip in shallow water but never again any rafts to avoid being traumatized for life about the sea.

From time to time I think about those three macho men total strangers with a sense of gratitude and awe.

 

 

How many drownings have there been this year?
It seems almost daily, is it more then 'normal' years?

12 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Miami beach.

Age 12.

Low level swimmer.

Thus the Latin Americans.

No lifeguards.

I was told later that  sharks were sighred further out that morning.

Relaxing on an inflatable raft in shallow water.

Then within seconds a current swept me far offshore way past all others on the beach.

I hung on to the raft for dear life not knowing whether that was smart but small chance of swimming out of it without the raft so I guess smart.

So then I yelled for help. In English. 

Amazingly and very quickly three hairy very athletic Latin Americans looking to be in their 30s swam out and rescued me.

Weirdly I don't have a memory of whether they brought me in on the raft or ditched the raft.

They were lifeguard level swimmers but as said it was a beach without lifeguards.

Traumatized of course I did my best to thank them but what can a kid say that would be adequate.

My family was on the beach but I don't know much they saw. It happened so fast and they couldn't have rescued me anyway.

Later that afternoon it was decided that I should visit the beach again dip in shallow water but never again any rafts to avoid being traumatized for life about the sea.

From time to time I think abiut those three macho men total strangers with a sense of gratitude and awe.

 

 

Smart thinking holding onto the raft you may have been done for without it.  I almost drowned south of Ensenada in the Baja as a teenager.  You’ll be disappointed to know I was on my own to figure it out, no hairy macho Mexicans to save me.  

2 minutes ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

Smart thinking holding onto the raft you may have been done for without it.  I almost drowned south of Ensenada in the Baja as a teenager.  You’ll be disappointed to know I was on my own to figure it out, no hairy macho Mexicans to save me.  

Good for you.

I'm not disappointed. 

The thing with the raft was that I was a sitting duck on it with no control at all of where the sea sent the raft.

A strong swimmer can beat a rip tide by swimming to the side which I didn't know about then anyway.

With a raft or not, going into panic is a big problem. 

Being Miami, very little chance that they were Mexicans.

Most likely Colombians.

Off topic posts removed. Can you discuss the topic, not just try to attack other posters!

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Miami beach.

Age 12.

Low level swimmer.

Thus the Latin Americans.

No lifeguards.

I was told later that  sharks were sighred further out that morning.

Relaxing on an inflatable raft in shallow water.

Then within seconds a current swept me far offshore way past all others on the beach.

I hung on to the raft for dear life not knowing whether that was smart but small chance of swimming out of it without the raft so I guess smart.

So then I yelled for help. In English. 

Amazingly and very quickly three hairy very athletic Latin Americans looking to be in their 30s swam out and rescued me.

Weirdly I don't have a clear memory of whether they brought me in on the raft or ditched the raft but probably still on the raft.

They were lifeguard level swimmers but as said it was a beach without lifeguards so incredible luck that they were there at the right moment.

Traumatized of course I did my best to thank them but what can a kid say that would be adequate.

My family was on the beach but I don't know much they saw. It happened so fast and they couldn't have rescued me anyway.

Later that afternoon it was decided that I should visit the beach again dip in shallow water but never again any rafts to avoid being traumatized for life about the sea.

From time to time I think about those three macho men total strangers with a sense of gratitude and awe.

 

 

Where were your parents?

1 minute ago, Harrisfan said:

Where were your parents?

On the beach.

As I already said I don't know how much they saw of the incident.

Maybe it's different these days, but back then letting a 12 year old relax on a raft in shallow water on a beach without big waves was quite normal.

Even if they had been watching as the tide swept me out, there is nothing they could have done.

Oddly, I never discussed that detail with them. It didn't even occur to me to ask. 

 

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

On the beach.

As I already said I don't know how much they saw of the incident.

Maybe it's different these days, but back then letting a 12 year old relax on a raft in shallow water on a beach without big waves was quite normal.

Even if they had been watching as the tide swept me out, there is nothing they could have done.

Oddly, I never discussed that detail with them. It didn't even occur to me to ask. 

 

I drifted 100m one time but was a strong swimmer

1 hour ago, Harrisfan said:

I drifted 100m one time but was a strong swimmer

Yeah if caught in a rip tide and a strong swimmer and knowledge not to try to swim directly into the current it should be ok. I guess an argument to push swimming lessons on kids.

On 8/22/2025 at 12:35 AM, ChipButty said:

In my experience the only reason people go swimming at that time of the night is they go Skinny Dipping, Ive seen people on Nai Harn beach in the past, 

In the 1970s as teens we often went skinny dipping in the small lake at my friend's summer house in New Hampshire,  I understand the desire to do it.  Heck even the girls were doing it.  At the time it was good clean fun.  

RIP Denis, Kamila must be devastated just now.

19 hours ago, Huckster said:

How many drownings have there been this year?
It seems almost daily, is it more then 'normal' years?

there have been enough in the news that tourists should know well enough to go swimming in the sea late at night without anyone to help them if needed. 

They were silly to go swimming at night and he has paid for it with his life.

Very tragic for both of them.

He did what many have done.

Some have survived. And some haven't.

Many others will again.

He was a brave young man.

I feel sad for both of them and there families.

Quite a tale.

I am surprised that no one  has asked if there were witnesses or if the couple were "happy".

In the past there have been incidents where couples have gone out on the ocean and only one returns.