CHILLING footage captured the moment a freak Black Sea wave swept away a female cop as she posed for pics near a barrier.
Ukrainian police officer Oleksandra Oleschuk, 20, is now feared dead as authorities failed to recover her body from the raging sea in Odesa.
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The shocking tragedy took place when Oleschuk was posing for pictures near the edge of a sea wall with her friends.
The off-duty police officer donned a beautiful white dress as her friends filmed her against the backdrop of vast water.
Within a few moments, a large wave surged over the waterbreak and knocked the cop over.
CCTV footage caught the moment a helpless Oleschuk was mercilessly swept into the vast sea before disappearing.
Her shocked friends watched in horror and immediately called for help.
Oleschuk’s body had not been found more than one day after the tragedy – and is now feared dead.
Rescue teams however are still on a hunt for her body.
A statement from Odesa police said: “The 20-year-old woman was off duty, on holiday, in her free time. She was taking pictures as a memento of her time in Odesa.
“The first wave knocked her down and…washed her into the sea.
“The search for the woman’s body is currently underway with the involvement of the State Emergency Service divers.”
A criminal case has been opened to investigate the tragic news.
Oleschuk was a police lieutenant who graduated from the Lviv State University of Internal Affairs in April 2023.
After completing her training, she was sent to work in Rivne and later Kirovograd region.
It comes after a tourist was swept away by a huge 12ft wave as it hit a seafront in Tenerife.
Horrified witnesses saw his body in the water and called the emergency services.
It is believed he was taking pictures of the dramatic surf in the natural pools on the sea edge when he was swept away.
A 53-year-old Czech tourist fell into the rough sea at the northern resort of Puerto de la Cruz and drowned despite prolonged efforts to save him.
More than 130 people were also evacuated as freak storms knocked through the Spanish holiday hotspot in April.
Last year, a group of tourists fell victim to king-sized “sneaker waves” at a beach in Reynisfjara.
The massive waves were mild at first glance but surged up the coast faster than expected, swallowing the victims.
In 2020, two young kids tragically drowned when a sneaker wave swept them out to sea during a coastal hike in Oregon.
Lola Stiles, seven, and her four-year-old brother William were swallowed up by the freak surge along with their dad Jeremy, who survived.
Devastated mum Jamie Stiles revealed the tragedy at Cannon Beach “shattered” her life.
She said: “My babies loved adventure and I know they are off now on the grandest adventure of them all, together.”
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