❄️ He wanted to warn others — but what happened under the ice nearly cost him his life. Even a champion swimmer got lost in seconds. His terrifying experience is a powerful warning to anyone thinking of trying it 🧊 Full story and video — in the article below!👇
After a recent tragedy where a woman in St. Petersburg was swept away by a strong current while taking part in an Epiphany ice bath in Oredezh, professional swimmer and athlete Boris Oravets decided to film his own dangerous swim. As we know, his goal was to show just how risky it is to swim in an ice-hole, even for someone with experience.
Boris is not just a swimmer — he’s also a four-time world champion in ice hockey, and he trains in CrossFit and ice cross, a sport that involves racing down icy tracks on skates. Despite all this training, he wanted to prove that ice swimming in an unsafe area can still be deadly.
Experts warn that diving into icy water is dangerous, especially for people with heart problems. Even a quick cold shower can cause the blood vessels to spasm and then suddenly widen, which can be dangerous. For healthy people, it’s important to get the body used to cold temperatures slowly and safely.
Before jumping into the water, Boris took time to adjust to the cold. Only after preparing himself did he dive under the ice.
His goal was to swim a short distance underwater — from one ice-hole to another. But even though he wore tight-fitting swim goggles, Boris quickly became disoriented. Near the end of his swim, he got slightly off course and couldn’t find the opening to get out.
The panic was felt not just by Boris but also by his team and the onlookers. The ice was clear enough that his team could see him struggling underneath. They tried to help him by knocking on the ice to guide him or even attempting to break through it.
Boris didn’t have much air left. As the video shows, it was the safety rope tied to him that likely saved his life. Without it, the situation could have ended in tragedy.
Afterward, Boris admitted that even with all his experience and training, he wouldn’t have been able to find his way out on his own.
His message is clear: never try ice swimming in unsafe or unprepared areas. What may seem like a brave act can quickly turn deadly.
