WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT The 19-year-old was on a summer walk in Siberia, Russia, with her stepdad, when they were mauled to death by bears
Olga Moskalyova was just 19 when she was killed(Image: Family Handout)
What began as an innocent day out with her stepfather transformed into a living nightmare for a teenager who lost her life in a bear attack.
Olga Moskalyova was only 19 when she set out on a summer stroll in Siberia, Russia, alongside her stepfather, Igor Tsyganenkov. What started as a pleasant riverside excursion swiftly descended into terror when the pair encountered a deadly predator.
The teenager was speaking to her mother, Tatiana, on the phone when they were both set upon by several wild bears, with her mum listening to the entire harrowing ordeal. Olga rang her initially in panic, describing what they’d stumbled upon, before the phone was snatched from her grasp and she would never speak to or see her daughter again.
Initially, Olga watched in horror as the bear attacked her stepfather before the mother bear pursued her for 70 yards until it seized her leg. Throughout the assault she rang her mother multiple times to alert her.
Her mother thought the attack was a joke – until she heard the growling sounds (stock image)(Image: REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
According to reports, she cried out: “Mum, the bear is eating me! Mum, it’s such agony. Mum, help!” At first, Tatiana, listening on the other end of the line, believed this was a prank, but once she detected the growling and chewing noises, she realised it was a genuine tragedy.
She said: “But then I heard the real horror and pain in Olga’s voice and the sounds of a bear growling and chewing.” She added she could have “died then and there from shock”.
Her daughter continued ringing her repeatedly until an hour later, when she made her final call with heartbreaking last words. According to Tatina, her last words were: “Mum, it’s not hurting any more. I don’t feel the pain. Forgive me for everything; I love you so much.”
Devastated and struggling to comprehend what had happened to her child, Olga’s mother contacted police, who arrived at the horrific scene an hour and a half later. Six hunters were dispatched to track down and destroy the bears, but when they were found, they were still reportedly feeding on the teenager’s remains.
Before her sudden and terrifying death, Olga was remembered as a “fun, warm and friendly” young girl, as described by her mother, who had her entire life ahead of her. Her mother said: “She had graduated from music school, and just days before the bear attack, she got her driving licence.”
Both Olga and her stepfather who perished alongside her were laid to rest and buried on the same day in 2011.
Bear attacks are believed to be increasingly common in Russia, particularly in wilderness areas where the animals are searching for food and feel humans are invading their territory.