PALOS VERDES, California — The discovery of Mikhail Tkachev's body in the ocean near Malaga Cove just south of Redondo Beach over the weekend shocked those who knew the well-liked Huntington Beach man, but family members have taken solace in knowing that he apparently died doing what he loved. Tkachev, a family man and church deacon who left Ukraine nearly two decades ago to escape religious persecution, was an experienced diver and fisherman who often took to the seas and lakes to ease his mind, daughter Yelena Tkachev said. "It was a getaway from work and all his stresses. He would just get in the water," Yelena said. "He was a good swimmer and he was good at holding his own oxygen. He knew what he was doing and knew his limits. Something must have gone wrong." For weeks, Tkachev had been planning to go on a spearfishing trip, his daughter said, but was busy with his job as an engineer at Glidewell Laboratories in Newport Beach. On Saturday, he and a friend headed for a Fourth of July trip to the waters off the Palos Verdes Peninsula, with Tkachev promising to return home within a few hours for a family barbecue, his daughter said. Tkachev was eager to get into the water, his daughter said, and decided to begin fishing ahead of his friend. When his friend emerged from the water several hours later, he realized that Tkachev was still gone, and, after searching the area again, he alerted authorities. Authorities kicked off a full-scale search Saturday night, bringing in rescue helicopters and boats from the Coast Guard, Los Angeles County Fire Department Baywatch and the Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol, who scoured more than 72 square miles of ocean. It was Tkachev's friend who found his body at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Yelena said. He was 10 to 15 feet below the surface, his daughter said, on his back 60 to 80 feet from the shore. Authorities have not released a cause of death, but Yelena, who says she was there when the body was discovered, didn't see any signs of foul play. The family believes that something "uncontrollable" happened, not a mistake on the part of Tkachev, who, as a skin diver, was not using an (air) tank. "We feel better knowing that no matter where he was it would have happened," Yelena said. "At least it was in the ocean, his favorite place." Tkachev's death came on the 18 year anniversary of his family's immigration to the United States. After living in Montebello and San Gabriel, the family moved to Huntington Beach in 1998, Yelena said. | | Mikhail Tkachev and his daughter Yelena at her wedding, a month before his death. After a brief stint owning a mechanic business – one made difficult due to his big-hearted but not always financially sound desire to help people free of charge – Tkachev brought his love of inventing to Glidewell Laboratories. "His mind was always full of ideas," Yelena said. "He would always find a solution, no matter what." Tkachev lived a simple life, Yelena said, one dedicated to his family and his church, the Slavic Evangelical Church of Montebello. "He always made sure his priorities weren't earthly," Yelena said. "We never owned a house and his cars were always old and broken down." Tkachev is survived by his wife Ludmila, son Sergey, 24, and daughter Yelena, 21. The family will hold a memorial at 6 p.m. Friday at Refuge Calvary Chapel, 7800 Edinger Avenue in Huntington Beach, and a funeral at noon Saturday at Pacific View Memorial Park, 3500 Pacific View Drive in Corona Del Mar. "He never came to a dead-end," Yelena said. "If you felt like you were helpless, he was the one who always gave you hope." by Sean Emery |
