A member of Russia’s Lower House of Parliament, the State Duma, drowned in the Dead Sea in Israel this past Saturday. However, the cause of death was not revealed.
It is nearly impossible to drown in the Dead Sea without a primary medical reason causing such an incident because the water of the lake is too heavy to allow a human being to sink unless he has lost control of his faculties.
The death of Vasily Tarasyuk was reported by Russia’s Interfax news agency on Wednesday. Tarasyuk was on vacation at the time, during the planned hiatus of the Duma.
Many foreign nationals visit the Dead Sea for their health each year; the mineral-laden waters are said to be exceptionally beneficial for many skin conditions.
An exceptionally wealthy individual, Tarasyuk had served as chairman of a petroleum firm prior to serving in the Duma. He was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and the deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Natural Resources and Utilization.