A devastating incident unfolded in Hawaii as a young couple from Washington, both parents to an 18-month-old son and expecting another child, tragically drowned while on vacation. The couple, Ilya and Sophia Tsaruk, aged 25 and 26 respectively, met their untimely demise off the coast of Maui, as confirmed by the local fire department and family members.
The Maui Fire Department and ocean rescue teams were called to the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in the early afternoon, responding to reports of distressed swimmers. Upon reaching the scene, they discovered Sophia, unresponsive in the water. She was immediately brought to shore where emergency responders attempted to revive her.
During the rescue operation, the team was informed that Sophia’s husband, Ilya, was also in the water but was unaccounted for. The rescue team resumed their search in the ocean, eventually finding Ilya at the sea bottom, roughly 100 to 150 yards from the shore. Similar to his wife, he was brought to land and emergency responders attempted CPR.
Despite the tireless efforts of the emergency teams, neither Ilya nor Sophia could be revived. They were pronounced dead at the scene, along with their unborn daughter, as confirmed by the Maui County Fire Department.
The Tsaruks are survived by their young son, Logan, who was staying with his aunt and uncle during his parents’ vacation in Maui. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help cover the funeral costs.
The couple was deeply rooted in their faith and actively involved in their church, as shared on the fundraising page. The campaign organizer, Andrey Tupikov, wrote in both English and Russian, “Ilya and Sophia both loved the Lord and were always serving in the church and serving people around them.” He also mentioned that Sophia had a beautiful singing voice and, along with Ilya, was part of a worship group at their church.
As of Tuesday evening, the GoFundMe campaign had surpassed its goal of $100,000 by over $6,000. The funds will be used to transport the bodies of Ilya and Sophia from Hawaii back to Washington state. Tupikov expressed gratitude for having known the couple and remembered them for their service and warm company.