A tragic accident has left a young boy orphaned after his parents, Ilya and Sophia Tsaruk, died in a freak snorkeling incident while vacationing in Maui, Hawaii.
The couple, from Washington, had been enjoying a getaway without their 18-month-old son, Logan, who was staying with his aunt and uncle.
On Saturday, September 14, the Maui County Fire Department received reports of two individuals in distress in the waters near the north side of Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and discovered an unresponsive 26-year-old woman, later identified as Sophia Tsaruk. Not long after, Ilya, 25, was also found in the water. Despite the best efforts of rescue teams to revive them, both were tragically pronounced dead.
Resuscitation efforts were unfortunately unsuccessful, and both Ilya and Sophia were pronounced deceased at the scene by EMS, the fire department confirmed in a statement, per the Daily Mail.
In an added layer of heartbreak, it was later revealed that Sophia was pregnant with a baby girl at the time of the accident.
Fire department spokesperson Chris Stankil stated at a press conference that the incident appears to have been a snorkeling accident, though the exact cause is still under investigation.
In the wake of this devastating loss, family member Andrey Tupikov set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the couple’s funeral and to support their young son Logan, now tragically orphaned. “Yesterday, we lost a dear sister and brother, daughter and son, and beautiful niece, but we know that heaven received and gained the three of them with open arms,” Tupikov wrote on the page.
The post continued: “On September 14th, 2024, Ilya and Sophia Tsaruk tragically passed away together while on vacation in Maui. They were retrieved from the ocean by lifeguards who were unable to revive them after much effort. Sophia was pregnant with a baby girl, and they leave behind their 18-month-old baby, Logan, who was staying with his aunt and uncle at the time.”
Tupikov also spoke about the couple’s strong faith and commitment to their community: “Ilya and Sophia both loved the Lord and were always serving in the church and serving people around them. Sophia had the voice of an angel, and together with Ilya, they sang in a worship group in their church.”
The funeral service for the couple is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25. At the time of writing, over $119,000 has been raised through the GoFundMe campaign to assist with funeral expenses and help provide for Logan’s future, of a target of $100,000.
The Maui County Fire Department has not yet provided further comment on the ongoing investigation into the accident.
Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Ilya and Sophie’s son, Logan, and their family and friends at this devastating time.
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