Body found in Istanbul's Besiktas district identified as missing Russian swimmer

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Authorities on Wednesday have identified a male body found in the sea in Istanbul’s Besiktas district as Nikolai Andreevich Svechnikov, a Russian swimmer who went missing on Aug. 24, 2025, during the Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race.

The body was discovered along the Kurucesme shoreline and later transferred to the Forensic Medicine Institute for examination.

Following the completion of identification procedures, DNA samples taken from Svechnikov’s parents were matched with the remains, confirming his identity.

Svechnikov’s mother and father had traveled from Russia to Istanbul and were escorted from Istanbul Airport to the Forensic Medicine Institute by police teams. The parents provided DNA samples to the institute to determine if the body belonged to the swimmer.

Officials said the swimmer’s body will be handed over to his family after the completion of formal procedures at the institute.