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

[MrsWatson]

"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

I don't think the Toronto Sun is correct. They are on par with the Daily Mail as far as accuracy, imo.

From this article:

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.

 

[MrsWatson]

It sounds like Ildar was keeping in at least somewhat regular contact with a few people with during his travels.


Reposting this article and pulling out some details: (changed friend's name to initials)

“He’s my friend,” A.P. told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. “We studied at Western University together.”

The two met in 2009 while both studying in London, Ontario. There weren’t many Russian students at the university at the time, so they kept in touch after they were introduced by a mutual friend, he said.

AP said he had no idea Rakhmatulim was missing until Rakhmatulim’s ex-wife contacted him in mid-April to ask if he’d heard from him at all.

Since he knew that Rakhmatulim had been travelling a lot since COVID-19 restrictions eased, Patrushev said he wasn’t worried initially.

He said that Rakhmatulim’s ex-wife told him she was shunted between different police departments when she initially brought her concerns forward, and that a case wasn’t truly opened until mid-May. By then, AP said he was attempting to find out what had happened.

 

[dotr]

July 7 2023

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.

nz.news.yahoo.com

New video, supplied to Yahoo News Australia, shows Mr Rakhmatulin – a dual citizen of Canada and Russia – at a yoga class in the hour before he disappeared.

''Wearing a navy t-shirt with white writing, blue shorts and beige and black slip-on running shoes, the 38-year-old can be seen reclining in a deck chair as meditation music plays. He is one of 14 guests taking part in the session.

The video was recorded at 8:46am. Just over an hour later, at 9:48am, he checked out of the resort and has not been heard from since.''

It's believed Mr Rakhmatulin was wearing this t-shirt (left) and these shoes (right) on April 9, before he went missing. Source: Supplied

''In the footage of the yoga class, a blue bag containing Mr Rakhmatulin’s mobile phone and a set of keys can be seen on the floor next to his chair.''

''Mr Rakhmatulin’s friend, Alexander, told Yahoo News he finds it odd that his friend didn't return for his phone, and said he has no idea what the keys unlock. Initially, he guessed they may be keys to a locker or luggage area at Nadi Airport, however airport staff said there was nothing there.''

“Drowning is likely to be ruled out, and Ildar was not drunk… he is not a fan of drinking,” he said. Fijian Police conducted a water search nearby, however no trace of Mr Rakhmatulin was found.''

The blue bag next to Mr Rakhmatulin's chair was later found by staff and contained his phone among other personal possessions. Source: Supplied

A set of keys were found in the blue bag left after yoga, while friends think Mr Rakhmatulin may have been travelling with a red Osprey Farpoint backpack similar to the one pictured. The red backpack remains missing. Source: Supplied

 

[MrsWatson]

Has anyone found any social media for Ildar? I've only found the academic Russian guy and a hockey player as noted above. Wondering if he had any social media documenting his travels. A blog or YouTube Channel?

 

[MrsWatson]

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

BBM

Could you provide a link to that information? None of the articles posted have made any reference to him working or living in NZ for a couple of years.

 

[otto]

BBM

Could you provide a link to that information? None of the articles posted have made any reference to him working or living in NZ for a couple of years.

I just checked several articles that I read and cannot find the article where I read that or got that impression. Some articles contradict each other, and others are updated where the info changed. I guess that isn't correct. Apologies.

 

[Cedars]

A bit of a timeline of what happened after he went missing. Just because how complicated it can be if you are alone and go missing in a foreign country.

April 9, 9:46 am - Ildar's last identified action was checking out of the resort. His day bag with phone and keys was discovered 'later that day', and put behind the bar to be claimed. (yahoo article linked below)

Possibly some of his 'stuff' was found on the beach that day, and also set aside to be claimed. I have often seen shoes, etc on the beach, and have never assumed someone drowned.

April 10, missed his flight out. (my link above). Since he was heading to Malaysia to continue his travels, no one raised an alarm about that.

About one week later, his mother had not received a phone call, so became worried. Ildar's ex-wife started contacting friends/Canadian police. Not known what was done at the Russian end.

Friend AP does his own sleuthing: "Patrushev says he contacted a Russian guide in Fiji who found all of Rakhmatulin’s bookings on booking.com, where they confirmed his stay at a hotel on the Coral Coast."

At this point, probably the resort just said he'd checked out. The info was reported to police who "seemed nonchalant about it, saying that when Rakhmatulin appears, he can go to the police, and everything will be okay." ie they believed he'd just extended his vacation without telling anyone.

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

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

'Over one month after he'd checked out (ie sometime between May 9th and June 8), staff find/recall the phone left behind the bar, and try to connect it to the former guest who is missing. At some point the phone is definitely linked to Ildar, especially by footage showing he left it there 1 hr before checking out. (They would have needed family to identify him, etc). This may have taken some time to work out.

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

June 8: Fiji police announce that a Russian tourist is missing, belongings were found at the resort, divers are searching the water. This information and prodding has come from the Russian Embassy in Australia (probably the closest Russian Embassy. I speculate his mother doesn't speak English well, and filed all the known information with Russian authorities).

So, it was two months after he disappeared that they searched the ocean around the resort. No wonder they didn't find anything...

Russian tourist missing in Fiji

www.fbcnews.com.fj

Some Australian media cover the story, at this point. Tourist mysteriously vanishes from Fiji beach near resort

June 26, Toronto Sun first to pick up the story. Websleuths thread follows.

June 30, some unidentified 'new developments' are referred to by Fiji police, but not revealed.

Fiji Police still searching for missing Russian tourist - The Fiji Times

Fiji Police have received new information on the disappearance of Russian tourist Illdar Rakhmatulin who went missing in Sigatoka earlier this year. Assistant Commissioner of Crime ACP Sakeo Raikaci said while they were following up on the new leads, they had yet to locate Mr Illdar...

www.fijitimes.com

So, hopefully there will be more news. For example, perhaps his phone has been unlocked. Or his bag found.

JMO

 

[Cedars]

July 7 2023

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.

nz.news.yahoo.com

"friends think Mr Rakhmatulin may have been travelling with a red Osprey Farpoint backpack similar to the one pictured. The red backpack remains missing."

The Farpoint comes in 40, 55 and 70 L sizes, the 2 larger sizes come with attachable day packs...(which are, of course, optional to bring or use).

The blue bag found is from Mississauga transit.

JMO

 

[RickshawFan]

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.

I see what you're saying....

So,
—IR arrived on April 7
—he checked out 2 days later, on April 9
—he seems to have had a plane ticket out on April 10

Speculating...
The 7th and 9th are from an Australia news source. The friend is in Canada. Whole day difference because of the dateline (I once missed Christmas altogether and had 2 New Years on a week's trip to Fiji). It's possible there's date confusion?

Otherwise...
IR might have decided to sleep on the beach that night, and gone for a midnight swim.

 

[Cedars]

Otherwise...
IR might have decided to sleep on the beach that night, and gone for a midnight swim.

Maybe but man o man, losing your phone while travelling is a dire problem: all your photos, all your human connections, all your accounts and bookings. I can't see someone forgetting about it for a whole day, or stashing it at the resort for long, if that's what he did.

ETA and the keys were as important to him as his phone.

JMO

 

[Cedars]

I see what you're saying....

So,
—IR arrived on April 7
—he checked out 2 days later, on April 9
—he seems to have had a plane ticket out on April 10

Speculating...
The 7th and 9th are from an Australia news source. The friend is in Canada. Whole day difference because of the dateline (I once missed Christmas altogether and had 2 New Years on a week's trip to Fiji). It's possible there's date confusion?

Maybe, but he still didn't catch a plane on the 9th either, he and his luggage are missing, he never came back for his phone, with which he carried a set of keys that can't be traced...

JMO

 

[RickshawFan]

Maybe, but he still didn't catch a plane on the 9th either, he and his luggage are missing, he never came back for his phone, with which he carried a set of keys that can't be traced...

JMO

Yes, he was not on any plane.

But a time confusion might matter if we're not sure whether he was to be 2 nights in Fiji, or 3.

 

[RickshawFan]

Maybe but man o man, losing your phone while travelling is a dire problem: all your photos, all your human connections, all your accounts and bookings. I can't see someone forgetting about it for a whole day, or stashing it at the resort for long, if that's what he did.

ETA and the keys were as important to him as his phone.

JMO

He left the phone in the yoga room....I'm thinking, he went back to look, and someone had moved them. Maybe he said to himself, "I guess I didn't leave them there." Later, they were scooped up by the housekeeper.

He maybe shoulda had someone call his phone while he was looking for it.

 

[MrsWatson]

Keeping to the KISS method, I think Ildar went for swim after he checked out of the hotel and ran into trouble. It was a long time between his check out and his stuff being found and when there was a dive searching for him. As far as him using another passport, he had dual citizenship, but did he have a passport for Russia? Dual citizenship does not mean the person has two passports. I've seen nothing that indicates he was using anything other than his Canadian passport. While it may be romantic to think he's done some sort of voluntary disappearance, I'm not seeing anything pointing that way.

The keys are interesting, but I wonder if he didn't put some of his traveling stuff in a locker somewhere along his journey, knowing he'd be passing through again? Souvenirs, extra clothes, stuff he'd accumulated?

 

[azure]

Keeping to the KISS method, I think Ildar went for swim after he checked out of the hotel and ran into trouble. It was a long time between his check out and his stuff being found and when there was a dive searching for him. As far as him using another passport, he had dual citizenship, but did he have a passport for Russia? Dual citizenship does not mean the person has two passports. I've seen nothing that indicates he was using anything other than his Canadian passport. While it may be romantic to think he's done some sort of voluntary disappearance, I'm not seeing anything pointing that way.

The keys are interesting, but I wonder if he didn't put some of his traveling stuff in a locker somewhere along his journey, knowing he'd be passing through again? Souvenirs, extra clothes, stuff he'd accumulated?

Indeed, why in the world would he need to disappear? He apparently had the money and time to go wherever in the world he wanted, whenever he wanted.

 

[Cedars]

Indeed, why in the world would he need to disappear? He apparently had the money and time to go wherever in the world he wanted, whenever he wanted.

In terms of voluntary disappearance, there is an (unlikely, jokey) happy person's version, and there is a more serious, unhappy person's version. Just to mention it.

I still think the keys would have been left in his backpack with his other belongings, if they weren't needed right away.

But, JMO

 

[RickshawFan]

The keys are interesting, but I wonder if he didn't put some of his traveling stuff in a locker somewhere along his journey, knowing he'd be passing through again? Souvenirs, extra clothes, stuff he'd accumulated?

Snipped

The yahoo aus article ^^^ says the keys were for a locker, but there was nothing there. This statement could be ambiguous. Or not.

There are so many misinterpretation possibilities in a context like this. First, there's the time/day difference. Second, countries may be anglophone, but that doesn't mean they all use English the same way or have the same pronunciation. This matters when you're trying to pin down meaning.

I actually had an example like that when I was in Fiji. When I went to the restaurant at the resort, I told the hostess I wanted the buffet. I pronounced it French-ish, as in "boofay". She looked at me with total incomprehension, but very eager to meet my need. I didn't know how I could say it any better (although I'm "bilingual" English and American). Finally, she gets a gleam of happiness in her eyes; in fruity English with a "not-high-class" touch: "O Madam, you mean the buffy."

So, in that context, what does "there was nothing there" mean when they went to use the keys on a locker? The locker was empty? There was no locker? The key didn't work? There weren't any lockers? I'd want a bit more info on what is meant before I'd be sure I knew what was being referenced.

FWIW there are indigenous Fijians and a substantial population of Indians. Those are 2 very different Englishes!

 

[RickshawFan]

In terms of voluntary disappearance, there is an (unlikely, jokey) happy person's version, and there is a more serious, unhappy person's version. Just to mention it.

I still think the keys would have been left in his backpack with his other belongings, if they weren't needed right away.

But, JMO

Wow, excellent point. I wonder if they were keys to his luggage, and not to a locker.

 

[RickshawFan]

July 7 2023

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.

nz.news.yahoo.com

View attachment 433636
New video, supplied to Yahoo News Australia, shows Mr Rakhmatulin – a dual citizen of Canada and Russia – at a yoga class in the hour before he disappeared.

''Wearing a navy t-shirt with white writing, blue shorts and beige and black slip-on running shoes, the 38-year-old can be seen reclining in a deck chair as meditation music plays. He is one of 14 guests taking part in the session.

The video was recorded at 8:46am. Just over an hour later, at 9:48am, he checked out of the resort and has not been heard from since.''
View attachment 433637
It's believed Mr Rakhmatulin was wearing this t-shirt (left) and these shoes (right) on April 9, before he went missing. Source: Supplied

''In the footage of the yoga class, a blue bag containing Mr Rakhmatulin’s mobile phone and a set of keys can be seen on the floor next to his chair.''

''Mr Rakhmatulin’s friend, Alexander, told Yahoo News he finds it odd that his friend didn't return for his phone, and said he has no idea what the keys unlock. Initially, he guessed they may be keys to a locker or luggage area at Nadi Airport, however airport staff said there was nothing there.''

“Drowning is likely to be ruled out, and Ildar was not drunk… he is not a fan of drinking,” he said. Fijian Police conducted a water search nearby, however no trace of Mr Rakhmatulin was found.''

View attachment 433638
The blue bag next to Mr Rakhmatulin's chair was later found by staff and contained his phone among other personal possessions. Source: Supplied

A set of keys were found in the blue bag left after yoga, while friends think Mr Rakhmatulin may have been travelling with a red Osprey Farpoint backpack similar to the one pictured. The red backpack remains missing. Source: Supplied

It interests me that there are 2 keys and not just one. Do we agree they are duplicates? Hard to tell how big they are, but my immediate thought is luggage. And when do left luggage places issue you two keys instead of one?

They don't look like locker keys to me. If a locker key, you'd have some kind of identifier on it, surely? How are you supposed to remember otherwise that you left your luggage in Row W, Spot 8?

What those might be are keys to a lock on a cable that tethers his pack to something. This could be purpose-built or he bought a cable and got a cheap padlock.

The Osprey pack doesn't have a lock.

 

[SouthAussie]

June 8: Fiji police announce that a Russian tourist is missing, belongings were found at the resort, divers are searching the water. This information and prodding has come from the Russian Embassy in Australia (probably the closest Russian Embassy. I speculate his mother doesn't speak English well, and filed all the known information with Russian authorities).

Just want to add a little info ... according to Fiji police, it seems that it was the Russian Embassy in Australia who lodged the missing persons report.

The closest Russian Embassies (2 of them) are in New Zealand. The 3rd closest is in Australia.

Also, NZ is on the same time as Fiji. Australia is 2 hours behind Fiji.

Fiji Police Force
Nearest Russia diplomatic representations to Fiji

Neither here nor there, but just in case it makes any difference to any areas of the sleuthing.