Moment rogue wave sweeps Russian DJ Andrei Ivanov and wife Yulia off rocks at Bondi
This is the awful moment a monster wave swept an unsuspecting Russian couple off the rocks at Bondi on Saturday. Popular Russian DJ Andrei Ivanov, 47, drowned after the rogue wave swamped them. The DJ’s wife Yulia, 45, survived.
NSW
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This is the dramatic moment a monster wave swept an unsuspecting Russian couple off the rocks at Bondi, sparking a frantic search for the missing man who drowned in the incident.
The holiday of a lifetime ended in tragedy for popular Russian DJ Andrei Ivanov, 47, who died after he was swept into the ocean by the rogue wave.
His wife Yulia, 45, managed to claw her way back onto the rocks screaming for her husband while suffering cuts and two broken toes.
Mr Ivanov was remembered by his friends on Sunday as a talented musician with a bright future.
The drama unfolded at 5.30pm on Saturday when the couple made their way down onto the rocks at the northern end of Bondi headland to take a closer look at the waves.
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There was a hazardous surf warning in place as ex-cyclone Uesi pounded the east coast.
Lifesavers pulled Mr Ivanov out of the water after a frantic 30 minute search in huge seas and performed CPR, but were unable to revive him.
Mr Ivanov became popular throughout Russia in the early 1990s where he produced hit albums under the name Triplex and regularly appeared on radio station Maximum.
Leading dance producer Pavel Loginov posted on Facebook: ‘The big news today just killed me.
“We will remember you Andrei Ivanov.”
Another friend posted that: “He was one of the brightest people with whom life drove me.”
Shocked onlookers said the man’s wife was “screaming” as lifesavers and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter tried desperately to find him among the barrage of waves pounding the coastline.
“She was trying to go and save her husband,’’ one eyewitness said.
Lifeguards on jet skis pulled Mr Ivanov from the water at about 6pm.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Giles Buchanan said there was little emergency crews could do to save him.
“Paramedics at the scene at the air ambulance crew worked on him for an extensive period of time but unfortunately there was nothing that could be done after that amount of time,” he said.
The tragedy unfolded after the Bureau of Meteorology warned powerful swell conditions would hit the coast, with hazard warnings for activities such as rock fishing, boating and swimming.
Police said a report would be prepared for the Coroner.