<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A mother who fled war-torn Ukraine to live in Australia has drowned off the Western Australian coast.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Olya Tikhanova was enjoying the outdoors with her husband Vlad and teenage daughter Alice at Salmon Beach near Esperance on Saturday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 40-year-old, a talented photographer, was taking a photo on some rocks when she was swept into the water.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/rottnest-island-search-underway-after-sea-plane-crashes/008fd6be-04ec-4876-a080-dc7fae750deb" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Sea plane plunges into waters off WA</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The family had come to Perth after fleeing Ukraine, which has been under attack by Russia since February 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They came here with their daughter trying to have a fresh new start and it's just ... not fair the way it ended for her," friend Simone Monaco said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Olya is being remembered as a loving mother and wife.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/western-australia-esperance-drowning-olya-tikhanova/3f4b2e05-d5b2-4f15-84e9-5fcb004709d6" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Olya was such a beautiful person, beautiful soul," Monaco said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A GoFundMe campaign described her "overflowing stream of kindness, laughter, warmth, love and radiance".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/strong-earthquake-kills-at-least-9-people-in-western-china/77713d88-f6c4-4799-9119-3633f8bfe9e7" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Strong earthquake kills at least 53 people in Tibet</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Olya made people around her better, and the memory of her will keep them that way."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Ukrainian community in Perth is rallying around the family.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>9News understands if her husband were to return home, he would be required to serve in the war.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They don't deserve to go through this situation, they already suffered a lot," Monaco said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>