FIJI - Canadian tourist Ildar Rakhmatulin, 38, checked out of hotel 9 April 2023

[tarabull]

Mystery as tourist disappears after checking out of Fiji resort

The 38-year-old's belongings were found on the beach, but friends say vital pieces of information are still missing.

au.news.yahoo.com

Snipped...
...Ildar Rakhmatulin, a 38-year-old Canadian man, had flown into Fiji from New Zealand on April 7, and spent two nights at a resort on the island’s Coral Coast.

However, shortly after checking out of the hotel on April 9, Mr Rakhmatulin disappeared, with several of his belongings – including his phone – later found on the beach.

Bizarrely, his suitcase and backpack have not been found.

...“He was two days in Fiji and then he was lost. And for now it’s not clear, neither Fijian or Canadian police have given the information about if he actually left Fiji. They cannot confirm it. So it’s strange.

 

[LadyL]

Ildar Rakhmatulin loved to travel and had embarked on the journey of a lifetime.

The 38-year-old Western University grad was traipsing through the South Pacific and the final stop was exotic Fiji.

Mystery of Canadian man's disappearance in South Pacific

Ildar Rakhmatulin loved to travel and had embarked on the journey of a lifetime.

ottawasun.com

 

[tarabull]

Canadian missing in Fiji amid reports of tourist vanishing from resort

Global Affairs has confirmed a Canadian is missing in Fiji amid media reports a man vanished from a resort in April.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[dotr]

Tourist mysteriously vanishes from Fiji beach near resort

The Russian-Canadian man disappeared, leaving behind several items strewn on the beach.

7news.com.au

Ildar Rakhmatulin mysteriously vanished from Fiji’s Coral Coast days after arriving, sparking a dive search of nearby waters. File image Credit: Fiji Police Force/Getty Images
''Local outlet Fiji Sun reports that Rakhmatulin’s mother, who is based in Canada where her son also has dual citizenship, prompted the report with his workmates in Canada following concerns for his welfare.

Rakhmatulin had spoken to his mother on the phone on April 8, a day after he arrived in Fiji from New Zealand, and a day before he checked out of the resort and was last seen in hotel footage taking part in a poolside yoga session, it reports.
https://7news.com.au/news/shark-att...-shark-at-everglades-national-park-c-11081419
When his belongings were found on the beach, Raikaci said a team of divers from the Police Mobile Force searched nearby waters, while search efforts on land continued.

The hotel staff told Fiji Sun that the weather outdoors was fine on April 9 when Rakhmatulin went missing.''

 

[RickshawFan]

They haven't said which resort, but at the resort in the photo, the water is right at the verges of the resort.

I would conclude drowning when taking a swim after he'd had to check out. He prolly stashed the main luggage somewhere or else (longshot) the hotel had a "left luggage", and it's gone missing from there.

IMO there's going to be a hotel bar right on the beach there (maybe swim-up at the pool where he was taking yoga). This is a reach, since I've no idea, but some "fuel" could have contributed to a problem in the ocean.

A crime in Fiji would be way down my list of possibles, except maybe by another "guest".

 

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[tarabull]

Video shows last movements of tourist missing in Fiji

The 38-year-old attended a yoga session by the pool before checking out an hour later. He hasn't been heard from since.

au.news.yahoo.com

Canadian who mysteriously disappeared in Fiji still missing three months later | Canada

The 38-year-old dual citizen of Canada and Russia went missing on April 9 after spending two nights at a resort on Fiji's Coral Coast.

dailyhive.com

 

[RickshawFan]

Video shows last movements of tourist missing in Fiji

The 38-year-old attended a yoga session by the pool before checking out an hour later. He hasn't been heard from since.

au.news.yahoo.com

Canadian who mysteriously disappeared in Fiji still missing three months later | Canada

The 38-year-old dual citizen of Canada and Russia went missing on April 9 after spending two nights at a resort on Fiji's Coral Coast.

dailyhive.com

Some new info in there, in addition to a photo of that last yoga session. IR evidently left his phone and keys by mistake in the yoga space, and checked out an hour later.

He wasn't a drinker, and the friend says no to the speculation that IR drowned.

IMO IR couldn't remember where he left his phone, and thought maybe he randomly dropped it somewhere. Or else he remembered he'd left them at the yoga space, but someone cleaned up right after the yoga session, so he couldn't see them when he went back to look. He had his wallet with him in a pocket (speculating here) and used it to pay his hotel bill.

Fiji LE says some of IR's items were found "on the beach". Per their FB, this is indeed what they said. His Osprey pack seems to be missing, but this pack might be eye candy (they're kind of expensive), and someone random could have picked it up on the beach.

 

[annpats]

Unless that beach area near his hotel is known for rip tides or dangerous undercurrents (and I doubt it is, otherwise there would be warnings) it seems strange he could've drowned, and 38 is young for a medical incident.

Weren't there any other people on or near the beach at the time? Surely he can't have been the only one around?

Does the hotel or any nearby bar/café not have a camera pointing that way?

Also, how can Fijian authorities not know if he flew out of the country?! Surely they keep a record of all incoming and departing passengers?

He also has Russian nationality too, so there is a chance he could've used his Russian passport not his Canadian one.

I assume his passport(s) were in the big backpack that went missing. Most hotels have a 'bag holding' service after you check out, so what happened there?

There is obviously at least one camera in the hotel (which surveilled him doing yoga that morning) so there must be other cameras about too. Did someone steal his luggage from the front desk/closet? Was he being watched?

Did he leave the country by "private boat", either willingly or not?

<modsnip - no link to approved source stating his education>

Hmmm, it sounds like a spy thriller......

 

[tarabull]

Snipped from the link above...
...Alexander said he was informed by government department Global Affairs Canada that Mr Rakhmatulin had not left Fiji via plane.

 

[RickshawFan]

Unless that beach area near his hotel is known for rip tides or dangerous undercurrents (and I doubt it is, otherwise there would be warnings) it seems strange he could've drowned, and 38 is young for a medical incident.

Weren't there any other people on or near the beach at the time? Surely he can't have been the only one around?

Does the hotel or any nearby bar/café not have a camera pointing that way?

Also, how can Fijian authorities not know if he flew out of the country?! Surely they keep a record of all incoming and departing passengers?

He also has Russian nationality too, so there is a chance he could've used his Russian passport not his Canadian one.

I assume his passport(s) were in the big backpack that went missing. Most hotels have a 'bag holding' service after you check out, so what happened there?

There is obviously at least one camera in the hotel (which surveilled him doing yoga that morning) so there must be other cameras about too. Did someone steal his luggage from the front desk/closet? Was he being watched?

Did he leave the country by "private boat", either willingly or not?

<modsnip - no link to approved source stating his education>

Hmmm, it sounds like a spy thriller......

Oooh... I like the spy-thriller idea or kidnap for return to home country where his skills are sorely needed.

Strangely, I have been to Fiji, the same area (Coral Coast), but not that resort. Marvelous place and people.

I don't think it's at all strange to drown, with or without riptides. I don't know if I have ever in my life seen signs warning about the ocean except maybe on public beaches in California. So, I wouldn't jump from "there were no signs" to "there wasn't any dangerous current".

Heck, he could have been slapped by a stingray....myriad ways to drown.

Hard to say because this resort is not the one I was at (and it doesn't look fancy), but the beach may belong to the resort, and not public. Or not. Without knowing which resort, it would be difficult to make judgments about the beach situation here.

Personally, I would never leave my passport anywhere while traveling, especially not in a bag that isn't in my possession. And he may have felt super-lucky about having a Canadian passport, especially at the current time. So, I can't see him leaving it in a pack at "left luggage".

There's a lot of drinking at Fijian resorts IME. They are popular with Australian tourists with ample beer bellies, and Fiji is close-ish to Australia. I know his friend said he didn't drink, but there are many ways to skin the cat.

 

[RickshawFan]

Also, how can Fijian authorities not know if he flew out of the country?! Surely they keep a record of all incoming and departing passengers?

Snipped

IME not only do the Fijian authorities keep track, they have a government delegation that meets the planes to make sure every single tourist is taken care of, every single one is picked up, no one is lost.... It's incredible, really. My hotel ride didn't show up on one trip, and the official greeter (a woman of "traditional build" and very warm/fuzzy) saw me waiting for a mere 5 minutes and totally took care of it. And just beaming at the thought of helping...

The Fijians as a culture are like nowhere else I've ever been. IME they go WAY above and beyond to take care of people. I had a US friend who got married in Fiji, and when she arrived, to take care of her, she was asked, "Madam, would you like some guests for your wedding?" LOL I guess the host hotel didn't want her to have a lonely wedding so far from home.

All this is to say....personally, I would trust the Fijian LE line on this. Drownings are not rare there, and they'd be familiar. I don't feel cynical at all on this topic. Maybe some other arenas in Fiji, but not the realm of tourist drownings.

 

[everybodhi]

Snipped

IME not only do the Fijian authorities keep track, they have a government delegation that meets the planes to make sure every single tourist is taken care of, every single one is picked up, no one is lost.... It's incredible, really. My hotel ride didn't show up on one trip, and the official greeter (a woman of "traditional build" and very warm/fuzzy) saw me waiting for a mere 5 minutes and totally took care of it. And just beaming at the thought of helping...

The Fijians as a culture are like nowhere else I've ever been. IME they go WAY above and beyond to take care of people. I had a US friend who got married in Fiji, and when she arrived, to take care of her, she was asked, "Madam, would you like some guests for your wedding?" LOL I guess the host hotel didn't want her to have a lonely wedding so far from home.

All this is to say....personally, I would trust the Fijian LE line on this. Drownings are not rare there, and they'd be familiar. I don't feel cynical at all on this topic. Maybe some other arenas in Fiji, but not the realm of tourist drownings.

This has been my experience too, as a solo traveler, they were always looking out for me. Especially when I was in the water, there were always locals watching making me feel incredibly safe.

 

[Cedars]

Presumably he'd found a different place to stay, which is why he checked out. There's no mention he'd missed a flight. And who only spends two days in Fiji?

Typically backpackers have a decent place booked for arrival, but look for a cheaper place for the rest of their stay.

I would guess that the keys are connected to his new place, since he took them to yoga.

So maybe first thing in the morning, he packed up his stuff and took it to his new place, so he didn't have to deal with it in the middle of the day. As a backpacker, he probably only had the one (carry-on size) backpack. For daily stuff, he maybe used that modest, non-descript blue bag.

Then he came back to enjoy the rest of the morning at the resort: maybe breakfast, yoga, and a swim on the beach. Maybe he could check out without a wallet, just ask them to charge the credit card on file.

Perhaps he didn't really forget his phone and keys, but left them there as being safe while he took a morning swim. Most people don't go to the beach early, so he could easily be the only one there at that time. 'Stuff' found may have been just his shoes and outer clothes.

Tragically, maybe something happened and he drowned. As stated above, you can never rule out drowning. For example, maybe he swam out really far, because he was such a good swimmer, too far, got into trouble.

The question is, where is his other luggage that he left, taking the keys? Hard to get rid of those, including passports, credit cards, etc. Or explain the sudden acquisition of a red backpack.

In terms of conspiracy, I'd lean towards he decided he never wanted to leave, and staged
his own disappearance! But he was probably too smart for that...

JMO

 

[otto]

Tourist mysteriously vanishes from Fiji beach near resort

The Russian-Canadian man disappeared, leaving behind several items strewn on the beach.

7news.com.au

View attachment 433136
Ildar Rakhmatulin mysteriously vanished from Fiji’s Coral Coast days after arriving, sparking a dive search of nearby waters. File image Credit: Fiji Police Force/Getty Images
''Local outlet Fiji Sun reports that Rakhmatulin’s mother, who is based in Canada where her son also has dual citizenship, prompted the report with his workmates in Canada following concerns for his welfare.

Rakhmatulin had spoken to his mother on the phone on April 8, a day after he arrived in Fiji from New Zealand, and a day before he checked out of the resort and was last seen in hotel footage taking part in a poolside yoga session, it reports.
Terrifying video shows man being dragged into water by shark
When his belongings were found on the beach, Raikaci said a team of divers from the Police Mobile Force searched nearby waters, while search efforts on land continued.

The hotel staff told Fiji Sun that the weather outdoors was fine on April 9 when Rakhmatulin went missing.''

His mother is "based in Canada" and he has Canada/Russia citizenship <modsnip>. He loves to travel and apparently could afford extensive international travel during covid. He held dual citizenship with Canada and Russia, and it's unknown whether he was travelling alone or with a companion at the time of disappearance.

So, he's a Russian Canadian who was living in New Zealand and, after 2 days in Fiji, his phone was found on the beach and he, along with his other belongings, are missing.

Australia News

Is he confirmed missing, or is there a possibility that he has slightly altered the spelling of his name and is traveling under a Russian passport? If he's leaving his New Zealand and Canadian life behind for now, leaving his phone on the beach creates the mystery he needs ... and where better than Fiji !

<modsnip>

Cautious New Zealand <modsnip - no link to approved source stating his education> disappears in Fiji after leaving his phone on the beach - and he's in the wind! It sounds like Canada has confirmed that he did not leave Fiji under his Canadian passport. Did he use his Canadian passport in New Zealand? Has he applied for a Russian passport?

 

[RickshawFan]

Presumably he'd found a different place to stay, which is why he checked out. There's no mention he'd missed a flight. And who only spends two days in Fiji?

Snipped.

LE said he didn't catch a plane out of there.

Also, it's normal to stay in Fiji for a short vacay on the way between Australia and the US (or vice versa). It breaks up the flight, and some long haul flights stop in there. Very convenient. The Coral Coast is near the airport to maybe an hour east--very accessible for a quickie, and the "transit" included in the package picks you up right at the airport.

IIRC I went on Air New Zealand once and Fijian Air once.

That "resort" looks very basic.

FWIW the Osprey travel pack has a zip-on day pack. I believe it's the Fairpoint/Fairview model. It's not a backpacker's pack, but a travel pack. Moderate to spendy.

<modsnip - no link to approved source stating his education>

FWIW, though a long time ago, my trips to Fiji were flabbergastingly cheap, and it was the highest-end resort I have ever stayed in.

 

[RickshawFan]

This has been my experience too, as a solo traveler, they were always looking out for me. Especially when I was in the water, there were always locals watching making me feel incredibly safe.

IIRC I did not go into the ocean alone in Fiji. It was a bit initimidating (there's world-class surfing on the other coast of this island). The resort had snorkeling group events. I went on one of those, but this wasn't a trip where I hung out on the beach. There definitely weren't lifeguards. There were at least 2 huge, beautiful, swimming pools, and not much incentive to go into the ocean water.

 

[Cedars]

I found this buried in an article upthread that I hadn't read:

"I know that he had a (plane) ticket, April 10, from Fiji,” he said. (quoted from his Russian-Canadian friend from university days in Canada)

Canadian missing in Fiji amid reports of tourist vanishing from resort

Global Affairs has confirmed a Canadian is missing in Fiji amid media reports a man vanished from a resort in April.

www.ctvnews.ca

Very odd that he would check out April 9, when he'd be leaving the next day. Where was he going, just to stay 1 night?

A different article mentions his next stop was going to be Malaysia Mystery of Canadian man's disappearance in South Pacific

ETA, other gleanings from various articles: he no longer has his job in Ontario, he'd left to go travelling as soon as Covid restrictions were lifted ie 2021 or 22. There's no indication he was working in NZ, he wouldn't have be able to as a visitor.

 

[otto]

Snipped.

LE said he didn't catch a plane out of there.

Also, it's normal to stay in Fiji for a short vacay on the way between Australia and the US (or vice versa). It breaks up the flight, and some long haul flights stop in there. Very convenient. The Coral Coast is near the airport to maybe an hour east--very accessible for a quickie, and the "transit" included in the package picks you up right at the airport.

IIRC I went on Air New Zealand once and Fijian Air once.

That "resort" looks very basic.

FWIW the Osprey travel pack has a zip-on day pack. I believe it's the Fairpoint/Fairview model. It's not a backpacker's pack, but a travel pack. Moderate to spendy.

<modsnip - no link to approved source stating his education>

FWIW, though a long time ago, my trips to Fiji were flabbergastingly cheap, and it was the highest-end resort I have ever stayed in.

It sounds like he was traveling under his Canadian passport to work in the Commonwealth country of New Zealand for a couple of years before heading back to Canada via Fiji. Commonwealth Nations have youth work visas between countries.

Flying Canada to Melbourne includes a stopover in Fiji, so perhaps Ildar Rakhmatulin tossed his phone onto the beach in Fiji because he knows there is high international traffic.

Did he leave Fiji under a Russian passport? Ildar Rakhmatulin is a really unusual name. I'm almost curious whether this is a spoof news report. The name does not sound Russian.

 

[annpats]

"The missing man holds dual Canadian-Russian citizenship although the Mississauga tech worker had no known relatives in Canada. It was not clear if he was alone or with someone else."

He had no known relatives in Canada? He just went there to study, but never went back to Russia and became a duel-Canadian citizen?

Mystery of Canadian man's disappearance in South Pacific

Ildar Rakhmatulin loved to travel and had embarked on the journey of a lifetime.

torontosun.com