Mother drowns in front of children during Epiphany bathing in Russia

JANUARY 24, 2022

 

Shocking new video shows the moment a mother drowned in front of her children while Epiphany bathing in Russia.

The tragedy took place on January 19 in Gatchinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, according to local reports.

In Russia and Eastern Europe, orthodox worshippers have been braving icy waters for Epiphany, one of the most important holidays in the Orthodox Christian calendar. Celebrated on January 19, “The Epiphany Bath” marks the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River. It is believed to be the day when baby Jesus was visited by the Three Wise Men, thus revealing himself to human kind.

In the Russian Orthodox tradition, a cross-shaped hole is cut into the ice. The water is then blessed by a priest and people bathe in this freezing water. Despite extremely cold temperatures, men, women and children of all ages plunge into these cross-shaped pools hoping to wash away their sins. 

In video of the incident, a woman can be seen jumping into a hole in the ice and immediately disappear under the water. Relatives rushed in behind her in an attempt to save her but to no avail, with no trace of her body being found. The woman’s children were at the scene at the time of the events.

Divers with responding rescue services in the Leningrad region also searched for the woman — who remains missing at the time of this report.