Hawaii
Hawaii Snorkel Tour Hits Rough Waters After Tourtist Allegedly Stabs Boat Captain | Oxygen
A Kansas man is accused of stabbing a Hawaii boat captain at sea with a filet knife.
Avery Nissen is now facing charges of second-degree attempted murder in connection to the April 16 attack, which took place during a three-hour snorkel tour off the Kona coast, according to a statement from the Hawai’i Police Department.
When Kona patrol officers arrived at the Honokōhau Harbor, they found the captain of the boat—identified as Stanley Lurbiekci, according to Hawaii News Now—suffering from stab wounds to the lower abdomen and cuts to the head and hands.
Witnesses aboard the boat told police that Nissen allegedly attacked the captain with a filet knife. Other passengers intervened and restrained him until the boat made it back to shore.
The 62-year-old was transported to the Kona Community Hospital, where police said he remains in stable condition.
Owner and president of Hawaii Nautical Mark Towill described Lurbiekci as a “real hero and a fighter.”
“I’m just incredibly grateful that our team is safe and that the situation ended the way it did,” Towill told the news outlet. “I’ve never heard of anything like this happening in this industry before, and just really grateful to all of our team for the way that they reacted, the professionalism that was demonstrated.”
Police said the motive in the attack is unknown.
In addition to the second-degree attempted murder charge, prosecutors have also charged Nissen with first-degree assault and second-degree assault, police said.
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He’s currently being held on a $1,570,000 bond and is expected to appear in Kona District Court for an initial appearance on April 20. It’s unclear whether Nissen has retained an attorney.
Police are asking anyone with information on the alleged attack to contact Detective Bradley Llanes at (808) 326-4646, ext. 268 or via email at Bradley.Llanes@hawaiipolice.gov.