A Ukrainian refugee who died after she was found unconscious on a south Devon beach on Saturday has been named as Albina Yevko.

Albina, a 14-year-old Ukrainian national who was living in the Dawlish area, was reported missing before being found on Dawlish Beach.

Her mother, Inna Yevko, said in a statement shared by police: ‘Myself and my family are devastated to have lost our beautiful Albina.

‘Nothing can ever replace her in our hearts. We ask that our privacy is respected at this incredibly painful time.’

Albina, described by her classmates as ‘kind and caring’, was living with a local family alongside her mother when she vanished Saturday evening.

It is understood she and her mother fled Ukraine after Russia launched its bloody war last year.

A police helicopter and the coastguard found Albina out cold on the beachside, airlifting her to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital where she later died.

The Year 9 Dawlish College student’s death has touched off an outpouring of grief in the ‘close-knit’ Dawlish community, police said.

Detective Inspector Becky Davies added: ‘Our investigation continues as we try to piece together Albina’s final hours.

‘Officers continue to undertake door-to-door enquiries as we try to identify any witnesses or CCTV footage that capture Albina’s movements.

‘Whilst this death remains unexplained, we are not currently treating this death as suspicious.

‘We await the results of the forensic post-mortem due to take place on Thursday, but in the meantime, we ask that the family and loved ones of Albina are given space and privacy as they come to terms with their loss.

‘Our thoughts are very much with those who knew Albina at this tragic time, and the close-knit Dawlish community who will no doubt be in shock over this loss.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article