Snohomish County couple drowned while on snorkeling outing in Hawaii

Corrections and clarifications: A previous version of this story misstated John Titchen’s position with the City and County of Honolulu. Our story has been updated and includes a citation to a previous story about snorkeling deaths.

A Snohomish County couple drowned while snorkeling in Hawaii over the weekend. According to family members on a GoFundMe page, the couple, 25-year-old Ilya Tsaruk and his 26-year-old wife Sophia Tsaruk, were snorkeling in the waters near the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in Maui Saturday. Firefighters responded to the scene around noon after receiving a call about two people in distress.

According to the family, first responders and lifeguards pulled the couple from the water and started life-saving procedures, but the couple died at the scene.

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The couple left behind their 18-month-old son Logan, who was staying with an aunt and uncle at the time. Family members also say Sophia Tsurak was pregnant with a baby girl at the time of her death.

While the exact cause of death is still unknown, the KITV4 Island News in Hawaii reports the couple were wearing full-face snorkel masks at the time. At some point, other people snorkeling around the couple left the water after running into trouble. Ilya’s brother, Anatoliy Tsaruk, told KITV4 he didn’t  think Sophia suffocated in the mask, but it might have played a part in scaring her into a point of panic.

Snorkelers have accounted for the majority of ocean-related drownings in Hawaii over the past decade, John Titchen, previously the Chief of Ocean Safety for Honolulu, told USA Today in 2023. Half of those snorkel-related drownings include non-residents.

In 2017, the Hawaii Department of Health established the Snorkel Safety Sub-Committee in 2017 to address public concern about the high number of fatal snorkeling incidents. The sub-committee found that the snorkel’s breathing tube’s airflow resistance and increased exertion cause shortness of breath and distress, which can lead to drowning.

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Family members say the couple loved serving people around them and serving in their church where they sang in the choir.

So far, the GoFundMe page has raised more than $166,400 for funeral expenses and for the couple’s toddler.

The family reported on the GoFundMe page that a celebration of life for the couple and their unborn child has been set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Seattle Sulamita Church in Mukilteo. The burial service will take place Friday at noon at the Evergreen Funeral Home and Cemetery in Everett.

Luke Duecy is a reporter for KIRO Newsradio.