Medet Zheenaliev Dies in Lake Issyk-Kul Rescue Attempt
medet zheenaliev died at 30 after entering Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan to help rescue four girls caught in a strong current. He never resurfaced after going into the water with a friend on Tuesday.
Lake Issyk-Kul Rescue
Four girls were swimming when one was reportedly pulled under by the current. Zheenaliev and his friend went in to help, but the former mixed martial artist did not come back out.
Lake Issyk-Kul is the ninth-deepest lake in the world and reaches 2,192 feet. The location adds weight to the rescue attempt because the water that drew him in is not just large, but exceptionally deep.
Zheenaliev's MMA Record
Zheenaliev had four professional fights and finished with two wins and two losses. His debut came on Sept. 23, 2017, when he beat Vladimir Kravchuk by armbar submission 2:08 into the fight.
He followed that with a first-round knockout of Shamil Temirkhanov at Battle on Volga 3. On April 7, 2018, he lost to Akhmadkhan Bokov by rear-naked choke in the second round at Road to M-1, and doctors later stopped his fight against Makkasharip Zaynukov at GFC 16 after round one, giving Zaynukov the victory.
The death leaves the rescue effort at Lake Issyk-Kul with one missing rescuer after an attempt to save four girls. For readers tracking Zheenaliev's career, the ending is stark: a fighter whose professional record was split evenly between two wins and two losses died trying to help others in the water.
