In the Krasnoyarsk region, rescuers have been searching for a family that disappeared during a mountain hike for a week. The missing people are 48-year-old Irina Usoltseva, 64-year-old Sergey Usoltsev, and their five-year-old daughter Arina.
According to reports, the family was last seen on September 28 at a tourist base in the settlement of Kuturchin. From there, they headed toward the Buratinka tract and have not been heard from since.
Media outlets describe Sergey Usoltsev as an experienced traveler. The family had originally planned to go with a tourist group and a local guide, but that trip was canceled because the weather worsened. A few hours after they left the base, fog set in and temperatures dropped below freezing.
Rescuers later found the Usoltsevs’ car near the tourist base. No hiking gear remained inside. The Investigative Committee, citing a witness who was among the last to see the family, said they were lightly dressed and had no winter clothing with them.
A family acquaintance reported them missing on October 1. The Investigative Committee for Krasnoyarsk region and Khakassia then opened a criminal case over the disappearance of the tourists. Prosecutors placed the investigation under supervision.
During the search, drones found the remains of a campfire, and volunteers said they had heard a dog barking. According to TASS, the family may have taken a small dog with them. Regional investigators suggested the hikers may have encountered a bear, become frightened, lost their bearings, and gotten lost; a quadcopter recorded two bears in the area where they disappeared.
Experts interviewed by NGS24, however, said an attack was unlikely, arguing that bears in such places usually avoid people and that attacks in autumn are extremely rare.
Another version has also been discussed: media reports say Sergey may have felt unwell during the hike, leaving Irina and their daughter unable to make their way out on their own.