The key facts
- Igor Bolshakov, 39, went missing on October 17 after traveling to an apiary in his personal UAZ
- 25 sq. km checked on foot and 41 sq. km with drones; a Robinson helicopter has joined the search
- 85 people and 23 units of equipment are involved in the operation; a procedural review is underway
Progress of the Search Operation
A Robinson helicopter has been brought in to search for Igor Bolshakov, an Emergencies Ministry employee who went missing in the Altai mountains, the regional Emergencies Ministry headquarters reported. The man has been out of contact since October 17. Rescuers are surveying hard-to-reach terrain in the Chemal district: search teams have covered 25 square kilometers on foot, and another 41 square kilometers have been checked with drones. Now, alongside the ground work and drone surveys, an aerial inspection from a helicopter has been added.
Conditions and Deployed Forces
The search is complicated by mountainous terrain and snow reaching up to 30 centimeters deep in places. In total, 85 people and 23 units of equipment are involved in the operation, of which 39 personnel and 12 units of equipment have been provided by the Emergencies Ministry of Russia. As early as October 20, 42 people and ten units of equipment were working on site, after which the group was reinforced.
Circumstances of the Disappearance
On October 17, 39-year-old Bolshakov drove to an apiary in his personal UAZ, expecting to return home the same evening, but did not show up and stopped answering calls. The next day, relatives found his vehicle in the Ak-Kaya tract; the man himself was not nearby. Investigators have opened a procedural review into the disappearance.
Additional Information
It is reported that an Emergencies Ministry psychologist is working with the missing man's wife. According to SHOT, the rescuer disappeared in an area where a heightened readiness regime had previously been imposed due to increasingly frequent bear sightings; there is no information about animals attacking Bolshakov. There is still no information on his whereabouts, and the search continues.
