After their helicopter crashed in the Russian tundra, bears attacked three Russian tourists and a famous sports figure, mauling and devouring them.
Igor Malinovsky, a 25-year-old world junior biathlon champion, and Sergey Kolesnyak, Zoya Kaygorodova a 39-year-old businesswoman, CEO of a mobile phone company, also died.
On Saturday, July 16, Malinovsky was operating the chopper when it went down in the Kamchatka peninsula in remote eastern Siberia. It's thought that the plane was headed for Malinovsky's home hamlet of Milkovo.
Before the Nadezhda Robinson helicopter caught fire, the three travelers were unable to communicate because of the severe weather.
After the crash, bears are said to have dragged their' bodies away and eaten them. Rescuers discovered the burned-out wreckage of the helicopter the following day.
According to 5TV channel, which cited local sources, "the bones of the slain tourists following the crash of a Robinson helicopter in Kamchatka were dragged away by bears."
Malinovsky, a five-time junior biathlon world champion, retrained as a pilot for his father Vladimir's business.
Although the accident's cause is still unknown, an inquiry will be conducted.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry issued a statement saying, "Unfortunately, none [of the three on board] survived the crash."
