Friends and family gathered to farewell a teen who drowned while swimming with friends at a popular beach.
Ivan Korolev, 18, disappeared while bodysurfing with friends at Freshwater Beach in Manly on Saturday, March 4.
His mates searched frantically in the water and continued their search on shore unsuccessfully before calling emergency services when he could not be found.
The mother of Ivan Korolev, the teenager who drowned at Freshwater beach on Sydney’s Northern beaches on Saturday night, has remembered her son as humble.
Family and friends gatehr for the memorial. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
A group embrace during the service. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
The teenager’s body was recovered in water off Freshwater Beach at 9.15am on Sunday.
There were sombre scenes at the beach on Saturday as friends and family gathered for the memorial.
Doves were released as part of the emotional ceremony.
Mr Korolev has been remembered as a determined young man, humble and shy, he achieved everything he put his mind to.
His mother Anna Kolotukhina broke down as she spoke about her son last week.
“Apart from being my son, he was my close friend,” she told 9News.
Ivan Korolev, 18, disappeared while bodysurfing with friends at Freshwater Beach in Manly on Saturday, March 4
The group were sombre. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
Doves were released at the memorial for Ivan Korolev, the teenager who drowned at Freshwater beach on Sydney’s Northern beaches last weekend. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper
“The sheer happiness he went through in the last few weeks was just unbelievable.”
It is unclear how Mr Korolev found himself in trouble.
“I was told he swam within a short distance of his friends and they were chatting and having fun,” Ms Kolotukhina said.
“His last words were ‘I’m so relaxed now I’m ready to fall asleep’”.
“God works in unpredictable ways,” added Ms Kolotukhina. “He was ready”.
A GoFundMe launched by friend Alena Yusupova to support Ivan’s family following his death has raised $13,300 at the time of publication.
“He was only 18 years old, a gifted boy at the very beginning of his adulthood,” Ms Yusupova wrote.
“He was always surrounded by loving and caring people who acknowledged his tender heart and his achievements in sport.”
Last month, 31 people died in Australia through drowning despite there not being many major flooding events.
High summer is often the peak time for drowning deaths in Australia. One in 10 deaths are from rescues gone wrong.