Valentina's mother arrives in Koh Tao: "She had never dived in the sea before", she says

 

Image: Thai Rath

 

The mother of missing Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova said that her daughter had been learning to dive in Russia for four years.

But all her experience was in swimming pools - she had no experience of diving in the sea.

Her mother - who was not named in the Thai Rath story - told police yesterday that she is convinced that her daughter is missing because of an accident while diving.

She gave her own DNA to help with the investigation as divers continued to search new areas of the sea around Koh Tao on Saturday.

Meanwhile Surat governor Apichart Bunsrirot held a video conference with police from all over the province of Surat Thani to discuss the way forward.

Missing persons posters have now been posted on neighboring Koh Pangan to try to get a lead in the case.

Valentina has not been seen since mid February. Body parts found on Friday thought to be her, turned out to be animal not human.

Other items including a singlet are still being checked for DNA.

Her mother said that Valentina  recently graduated with a bachelor's degree. She was a person who loved nature, forest walks and diving, she said.

Police are also waiting for the return of a Russian "dive buddy" who is currently in the Philippines. It is hoped that he may be able to shed some light on the case.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-03-12

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

She was a person who loved nature, forest walks and diving

 

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Police are also waiting for the return of a Russian "dive buddy"

Something doesn't sound right.

She loves diving and had a dive buddy but

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

But all her experience was in swimming pools - she had no experience of diving in the sea.

Not likely she would have made her first sea dive without an experienced person with her - a dive buddy.

It does seem very odd to me that the buddy hasn't contacted the police or the mother or cut short his holiday in the Philippines. Even if he doesnt know the mother or have any information that can help, a call to let her know that would be nice rather than her pinning some sort of hope on the mystery being resolved upon his arrival ! 

Almost all the information so far has been from the local police. Information from this source is often inaccurate, incomplete, contradictory or sometimes, deliberate misdirection. Perhaps there was no "dive buddy". Perhaps it is all a fabrication. Perhaps the police know very well what happened to this woman and do not want the investigation to go there.

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

 

Something doesn't sound right.

She loves diving and had a dive buddy but

Not likely she would have made her first sea dive without an experienced person with her - a dive buddy.

Quite apart from the fact that we still have no idea whether the missing woman was interested in scuba diving/free diving/snorkeling, if she spent 4 years learning to dive in a swimming pool (?!), she was unlikely to have had a "dive buddy"?

 

And it makes even less sense of the claim that she was 'going to beat a world record' - or words to that effect.

 

Nothing about this makes sense and sadly, it seems 'the waters' (unintended pun) are being ever more muddied.

'Her mother - who was not named in the Thai Rath story - told police yesterday that she is convinced that her daughter is missing because of an accident while diving'

 

This doesn't sound good. It may very well be the case, but we should be open minded to all possibilities. 

10 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

'Her mother - who was not named in the Thai Rath story - told police yesterday that she is convinced that her daughter is missing because of an accident while diving'

 

This doesn't sound good. It may very well be the case, but we should be open minded to all possibilities. 

Yes.  Yet another "quote" that doesn't actually clarify anything, but rather serves to muddy the waters further .

4 years of learning diving in a swimming pool..................

 

Maybe this is a bad translation....

4 years of learning diving in a swimming pool..................
 
Maybe this is a bad translation....

Probably. It takes 3 days to become Open Water certified on Koh Tao so 4 years makes no sense. These stories always have loads of missing info

ด้านพ.ต.ท.โชคชัย สุทธิเมฆ สวญ. สภ.เกาะเต่า ได้เรียกประชุมทุกฝ่ายที่เกี่ยวข้องเพื่อดำเนินการตรวจสอบเส้นทางการเดินทางของผู้สูญหายอีกครั้งหลังจากการค้นหาที่ผ่านมาทั้งทางบกและทางทะเลยังไร้เบาะแส และการสืบสวนทราบว่า น.ส.วาเลนตินา มีโรคประจำตัวที่ขัดกับกฎข้อห้ามของนักดำน้ำถึง 4 โรคประกอบด้วย เป็นโรคหอบหืด โรคลมชัก โรคซึมเศร้า และโรควิตกกังวล ต้องใช้ยาประจำ ซึ่งน.ส.วาเลนตินา ได้โพสต์ใน VK หรือเฟซบุ๊กรัสเซีย และบรรยายในไดอารี่ส่วนตัวว่าตัวยาที่กินอยู่กำลังจะหมดต้องเดินทางไปซื้อที่กรุงเทพฯ ซึ่งอาจเป็นชนวนประอุบัติเหตุขณะดำน้ำได้ ทางเจ้าหน้าที่ได้ให้น้ำหนักในประเด็นการค้นหาทางใต้น้ำ แต่ก็ยังไม่ตัดประเด็นอื่น
The police said Valentina was suffering from 4 conditions -asthma, epilepsy, depression and anxiety and she had posted on VK and  written in her diary that her medicine was running out and she would have to return to Bangkok to buy more. This ( lack of medicine) could have triggered a diving accident  the police said, but other factors in the cause of her disappearance were not being ruled out.

prachachat.net/news

1 minute ago, bannork said:

The police said Valentina was suffering from 4 conditions -asthma, epilepsy, depression and anxiety

obviously the perfect diving partner........

7 minutes ago, oxo1947 said:

4 years of learning diving in a swimming pool..................

 

Maybe this is a bad translation....

No it isn't. That's what it says in Thai in the article. It's extremely parky in Russia and quite possibly she only went swimming now and again. 

I believe they are doing what they can to solve this case , they know the international media is watching .   Her diving buddy should come forward and talk  or else it looks suspicious.  

Police are also waiting for the return of a Russian "dive buddy" who is currently in the Philippines. It is hoped that he may be able to shed some light on the case.

 

This " dive buddy " could be an important piece in the jigsaw . Yet the police have not made efforts to speak to him ? They are waiting for his return to Koh Tao and that is making the investigation even staler .

             I am still intrigued by her leaving her passport and phone in her room because as we all know young people especially do not go anywhere without their phone . Could she have been kidnapped ? dont think so as too many people around in a dormitory environment . Or if you wanted to disappear without trace you would not take your phone as it is as good as a tracking device . Just wondering if she was well insured on her life . 

17 hours ago, rkidlad said:

'Her mother - who was not named in the Thai Rath story - told police yesterday that she is convinced that her daughter is missing because of an accident while diving'

 

This doesn't sound good. It may very well be the case, but we should be open minded to all possibilities. 

Perhaps this is more likely what the police want the mother to say than what she actually said?

6 hours ago, superal said:

Yet the police have not made efforts to speak to him ?

How do you know that ? He's Russian , maybe does not speak English , and in the Philippines.  They probably tried . 

 

21 hours ago, bannork said:

ด้านพ.ต.ท.โชคชัย สุทธิเมฆ สวญ. สภ.เกาะเต่า ได้เรียกประชุมทุกฝ่ายที่เกี่ยวข้องเพื่อดำเนินการตรวจสอบเส้นทางการเดินทางของผู้สูญหายอีกครั้งหลังจากการค้นหาที่ผ่านมาทั้งทางบกและทางทะเลยังไร้เบาะแส และการสืบสวนทราบว่า น.ส.วาเลนตินา มีโรคประจำตัวที่ขัดกับกฎข้อห้ามของนักดำน้ำถึง 4 โรคประกอบด้วย เป็นโรคหอบหืด โรคลมชัก โรคซึมเศร้า และโรควิตกกังวล ต้องใช้ยาประจำ ซึ่งน.ส.วาเลนตินา ได้โพสต์ใน VK หรือเฟซบุ๊กรัสเซีย และบรรยายในไดอารี่ส่วนตัวว่าตัวยาที่กินอยู่กำลังจะหมดต้องเดินทางไปซื้อที่กรุงเทพฯ ซึ่งอาจเป็นชนวนประอุบัติเหตุขณะดำน้ำได้ ทางเจ้าหน้าที่ได้ให้น้ำหนักในประเด็นการค้นหาทางใต้น้ำ แต่ก็ยังไม่ตัดประเด็นอื่น
The police said Valentina was suffering from 4 conditions -asthma, epilepsy, depression and anxiety and she had posted on VK and  written in her diary that her medicine was running out and she would have to return to Bangkok to buy more. This ( lack of medicine) could have triggered a diving accident  the police said, but other factors in the cause of her disappearance were not being ruled out.

prachachat.net/news

Spherical objects.

2 hours ago, balo said:

How do you know that ? He's Russian , maybe does not speak English , and in the Philippines.  They probably tried . 

 

Police are also waiting for the return of a Russian "dive buddy" who is currently in the Philippines. It is hoped that he may be able to shed some light on the case.

 

Language should not be a barrier , plenty of translators , even  available on line