Rescuers searched 210 hectares of ocean surface in the Odesa region in search of a child

The search for a girl who was swept out to sea near the village of Sychavka in the Odesa region has been ongoing for three days.

This was reported by the press service of the State Emergency Service in the Odesa region. 

In total, since the search began, six kilometers of coastline, 210 hectares of water surface, and 4.5 hectares of seabed have been surveyed. The State Emergency Service has deployed divers, rescue workers, psychologists, and drone specialists. 

The young girl and her great-grandmother went into the sea to swim at an unregulated beach—where recreation is prohibited—near one of the vacation resorts in the village of Sychavka, Pivdennivska community. Due to a strong current, the child, who was on an inflatable ring, began to be swept out to deeper water. The great-grandmother triedto savethe girl but was unable to do so.

Following the child’s disappearance, investigators entered the information into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under paragraph 2 of part 2 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, with the note “missing without a trace.”

This is not the first case of a child going missing in the water in the Odesa region. For example, in January 2026, divers from the State Emergency Service resumed the searchfor Igor Andreyko, who went missing from a beach in Chornomorsk, Odesa Oblast, on July 28 during a storm that same year. The search was suspended several times due to various circumstances.

As of October 21, rescuers had searched 3,638.4 square meters of the seabed and 1,307 kilometers of coastline. They plan to resume the search as soon as the search for the fisherman is completed. Meanwhile, the police are also continuing to search for the young man.

On July 28, there was a storm in Chornomorsk, but people continued to swim. Ihor Andreyko went missing, and two people died on the beach that same day. Chornomorsk Mayor Vasyl Gulyayev stated at the time that rescuers pulled a total of 50 people out of the water that day, 10 of whom were children. 

 Rescuers began searching for the boyon July 29. Due to weather conditions—strong winds and large waves—it was impossible for the diving team to conduct search operations on July 28. Therefore, the search began in the morning. However, the boy’s body was not found.

Кирило Бойко