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Salmon Beach: Olya Tikhanova fled Ukrainian war to start new life in Perth before being swept off rocks

A mother who escaped the war in Ukraine to start a new life in Perth with her family has been revealed as the woman swept off rocks to her death near Esperance. Olya Tikhanova has been remembered as the “engine of her family” after she was pulled from waters at Salmon beach about 11am on Saturday. The 40-year-old was on a dream week-long trip with her husband Vlad and their 14-year-old daughter Alice when she was swept away while taking a photograph. Her husband and daughter were unable to jump in to save her as the ocean was too dangerous. Mrs Tikanhova was eventually brought to shore but could not be saved. She was living in the south-east Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a place that has been scarred by missile strikes and drone attacks since the invasion by Russian forces in February 2022, before she fled to WA. Her husband has been forced to leave his family behind that year after securing a sponsorship to work as a welder with Alloy Steel International in Perth — just days before the invasion. After building the foundations for his wife and daughter’s arrival, he managed to get them away from the conflict and safely to Australia. Mrs Tikhanova had also been working at Alloy Metals, receiving a promotion just before Christmas. Her team leader, Simone Monaco, told The West Australian he was phoned by Mrs Tikanhova’s husband hours after the tragic incident. “I wanted to believe I was not understanding him,” he said. “He told me, ‘She’s gone, she was taking a picture (and) she went in the water.‘I tried to help her, but I realised it was too dangerous and too late.’ “He also had to look after their daughter, so he made the right choice to not jump in. “He was saying he wasn’t coming to work in January and, gosh, you don’t even know what to say.” Mr Monaco said Mrs Tikhanova used to work as a photographer and loved the natural wonders of Australia. Her social media posts are filled with stunning images of coastal landscapes throughout WA. “When they were escaping (the conflict) they were in emergency centres with no water ... it’s a family that suffered a lot and came to Australia to really improve their lives,” Mr Monaco said. “She really loved it here. “(Her husband) can’t go back to Ukraine to see their family because he will have to do military service, and he has to then bring their daughter ... it’s a very, very hard situation.” Mr Monaco said Mrs Tikhanova encouraged her daughter to follow her passions of drawing and painting. “She wasn’t just a colleague, but she also became a friend — we shared life experiences about family and kids,” he said. An online fundraiser created to help Mrs Tikhanova’s family had raised more than $20,000 at the time of publication. “Our little light stopped shining and our life became darker,” a post on the fundraising page reads. “The overflowing stream of kindness, laughter, warmth, love and radiance stopped. Without a doubt, the people who were touched by her spirit will never forget her. “Olya made people around her better, and the memory of her will keep them that way. “Be appreciative of your loved ones, who give meaning to your life.” Mrs Tikhanova’s death is the first at the beach since 2020, when Faycal Al Saidi was swept off the rocks in December of that year. An inquest in 2022 found Mr Al Saidi was hit by a wave while walking on the slippery rocks. His body was never found, but Deputy State Coroner Sarah Linton was satisfied that he had drowned. The latest tragedy came a week after Perth couple Mohammad Shahidul Hasan Swapan, 44, and his wife, Sabrina Ahmed, 40, died while saving their daughter at Conspicuous Cliff beach near Waplole. Across the country, 42 drowning deaths have been recorded since December 1. A report into Mrs Tikhanova’s death will be prepared for the coroner. You can support her family by visiting this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/olha-olya-tikhanova

The West Australian exclusiveSalmon Beach: Olya Tikhanova fled Ukrainian war to start new life in Perth before being swept off rocks

exclusive
Salmon Beach: Olya Tikhanova fled Ukrainian war to start new life in Perth before being swept off rocks