A Russian blogger has spoken out about the moment her daughter asked her ‘where’s daddy’ after he died in a dry ice stunt at her birthday party.
Instagram influencer Ekaterina Didenko had been celebrating her 29th birthday in Moscow when her partner – 32-year-old Valentin Didenko – died alongside party guests Natalia Monakova and Yuri Alferov.
The three victims had ‘suffered Co2 poisoning’ after 25 kilograms of dry ice was mixed with swimming pool water in an attempt to create a dramatic ‘visual effect’. It’s believed they had been in the pool when the dry ice was chucked in, and were left unable to breathe.
Mother-of-two Ekaterina has since shared a video where she revealed their young daughter Nastya had been asking heartbreaking questions about her deceased father’s whereabouts.
Trained pharmacist Ekaterina – who blogs about pharmaceutical topics – said:
Valya is not with us any more. Or Natasha [Natalia]. Or Yura [Yuri]. I can’t tell you anything else. I have signed a ban to disclose any information. I can’t say anything.
I did not cry yesterday… today I just exploded. I thought it was not true, it was a nightmare. Nastya woke up today – ‘Where is daddy?’ I do not know what to say to her… She is asking me:’Why are you crying?’
Ekaterina has more than one million people following her on Instagram, where she offers advice on using medicines at home. In some of her popular videos, Ekaterina can be seen conducting chemical experiments alongside Nastya.
It was initially reported that Ekaterina had died during the incident, however these reports later turned out to be false.
A dry ice effect is created by freezing carbon dioxide, which produces a heavy vapour when combined with water. This can be extremely dangerous if mixed within a poorly ventilated space, resulting in high levels of carbon dioxide entering a person’s blood stream.
Moments before the tragedy occurred, guests had been celebrating and laughing happily whilst toasting Ekaterina on the occasion of her birthday.
Valentin had reportedly intended to ‘create an impressive steam show’ for party guests as they entered the pool. However, people began fainting as soon as the ice was thrown in.
The Russian Investigative Committee have since confirmed a criminal case has been opened into causing death by negligence.
The ‘preliminary reason for the death of three [party goers] was mechanical asphyxia because their airways were blocked’, local news sources reported.
Our thoughts are with the families of Valentin Didenko, Natalia Monakova and Yuri Alferov at this difficult time.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.