Tragedy in rescue operation at Fırtına Creek, both missing young person and AFAD personnel lost their lives.

Tragedy in rescue operation at Fırtına Creek, both missing young person and AFAD personnel lost their lives.

13.06.2026 20:10

While a sorrowful report came from the missing young person who had been searched for days in Rize, the search efforts ended in a great disaster. As a result of the capsizing of an AFAD boat searching for the missing young person in Fırtına Stream, 1 personnel lost their life and 4 personnel were injured. The lifeless body of the missing young person was found in the stream after the accident.

The anxious waiting that had been going on for days in the Çamlıhemşin district of Rize turned into a great tragedy with two successive heartbreaking news. The boat of the search and rescue team, struggling with the raging waters of the Fırtına Stream to find the missing young man, capsized; the operation resulted in the death of both the missing young man and an AFAD personnel.

Rescue operation in Fırtına Stream
BODY OF MISSING YOUNG MAN FOUND IN THE STREAM

Teams had been mobilized to find Volkan Civelekoğlu, who lived in the Yolkıyı Village of the Çamlıhemşin district and had not been heard from since Thursday. After the young man's personal belongings were found near the Fırtına Stream, search efforts were intensified in this area. The sad news came from the Şenyuva Village area; teams found Civelekoğlu's lifeless body in the stream.

Search and rescue in Fırtına Stream

SEARCH AND RESCUE DISASTER IN RAGING WATERS

While search activities were ongoing, a devastating accident occurred in the high-flow waters of the Fırtına Stream. The boat carrying the AFAD team, struggling against the current, could not withstand the force of the water and capsized. The 5 AFAD personnel on board were swept away by the raging waters and disappeared from sight.

Rescue operation in Fırtına Stream

4 PERSONNEL INJURED, INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED

In the accident, quickly responded to by other teams at the scene, it was determined that one of the AFAD personnel pulled from the water had died. The other 4 personnel, who were injured and reported to have no life-threatening conditions, were quickly taken to the hospital and treated. A judicial investigation is ongoing regarding the double tragedy that has plunged the region into mourning.

Rescue operation in Fırtına Stream
Rescue operation in Fırtına Stream

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