Three people died and seven are in critical condition after an Instagram star’s stunt at a pool party went horribly wrong.
As a spectacular “steam show” effect, a huge load of dry ice was thrown into the water, poisoning people with carbon dioxide.
A mom blogger from Moscow named Ekaterina Didenko has 1.1 million followers. She was celebrating her 29th birthday at a pool and sauna complex in the Russian capital.
Three people died when Valentin, her 32-year-old husband, dumped 25 kg (55 lbs) of dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) into the pool.
It was meant to make party-goers happy by making big clouds of smoke.
But right away, guests started having serious breathing problems and passing out, and some were said to have chemical burns.
Russian news sources say that 25-year-olds Natalia Monakova and Yuri Alferov were pronounced dead at the scene.
Valentin Didenko, who worked in IT and was also known as Valya, died in the hospital.
At first, it was said that Ekaterina was one of the dead, but she uploaded a video from her hospital bed before she knew her husband had died.
Fans heard her say, “I am alive. I am behind the doors of an intensive care unit.”
“I have no idea who died.” Valya is in the center for advanced care. “I have no idea what state he is in.”
After that, she shared another video of herself crying while telling her followers that her daughter Nastya was asking, “Where is Daddy?”
After leaving the hospital, she said, “Valya is no longer with us.”
“Or Natasha,” I said. Oh, or Yura (Yuri). There’s nothing else I can say.
“Yesterday I didn’t cry.” I just blew up today.
„I didn’t believe it, it seemed like a bad dream.
Nastya asked, “Where is daddy?” when he woke up today. I’m not sure what to say to her…
“She wants to know why I’m crying.”
It is made up of frozen carbon dioxide, and when you mix it with water, you get stronger-than-air vapor.
When it’s in large amounts, it can raise the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood, which stops oxygen from getting to vital organs.
News stories say that the three people who died were in the water at the time.
Some news sources said that Natalia and Yuri died from pulmonary oedemas after breathing in the gas.
One expert wondered if this was just regular dry ice or if it had “another substance” in it that made the poisoning worse.
Valentin had wanted to “put on a great steam show” while people at the party jumped into the pool.
Pictures on social media show that guests had been laughing and clinking glasses just a short time ago.
Mom of two Ekaterina is a well-known Instagram blogger who gives advice on how to use medicines at home. She is a licensed pharmacist.
In some videos, you can see her filming chemical experiments with her young daughter. She also talks about private parts of her own life.
The Russian Investigative Committee confirmed that a criminal case has been started for careless death.
In 2018, the wife and mother of an ice cream salesman were found unconscious in their car in Washington State, US. They were probably knocked out by the vapor from four dry ice coolers.