Hawaii
Pregnant mom, husband drown on Hawaii vacation, leaving behind their 18-month-old son
Young parents to an 18-month-old son and an unborn baby girl tragically drowned Saturday while vacationing in Hawaii.
Washington residents Ilya and Sophia Tsaruk — who was pregnant with their second child — died in the waters off Maui while swimming in the tropical paradise, according to the local fire department and their loved ones.
Maui firefighters and ocean rescue teams were called to respond to a report of “swimmers/snorkelers in distress” at Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve just after noon, the department said.
The emergency responders found Sophia, 26, unresponsive in the water and rushed her to shore where firefighters administered CPR.
They were told she was with her husband — who was nowhere to be found — and headed back into the ocean to search for him.
Ilya, 25, was soon found at the bottom of the sea roughly 100 to 150 yards from shore, fire officials said. He was carried back to land, where emergency teams began CPR on him as well.
But neither Sophia or Ilya began breathing again. They were pronounced dead at the beach — with Sophia’s unborn child also dead, the Maui County Fire Department said.
The couple leaves behind their 18-month-old son Logan who was staying with his aunt and uncle while his parents were in Maui, according to a GoFundMe campaign created to cover funeral costs.
The young parents were greatly involved in their church and loved God, according to the fundraising page.
“Ilya and Sophia both loved the Lord and were always serving in the church and serving people around them,” Andrey Tupikov wrote in the campaign description in both English and Russian.
“Sophia had the voice of an angel, and together with Ilya, they sang in a worship group in their church.”
The GoFundMe had outraised its $100,000 goal by more than $6,000, as of Tuesday evening.
The donations will be used to cover the cost of transporting Ilya and Sophia’s bodies from Hawaii to Washington state, according to its creator.
“We are blessed to have had both of them in our lives and are left now with the sweet memories and moments that we shared together with them. Their serving spirit and warm company will never be forgotten, and may God help us all to love and serve one another as Ilya and Sophia served,” Tupikov wrote.
Lava began bubbling out of Hawaii’s most active volcano once again on Tuesday as Kilauea’s sporadic eruption resumed.
The eruption restarted at midday when molten rock began pouring out of a vent in Kilauea’s summit caldera, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a statement.
The lava was contained within the caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and wasn’t affecting any residential areas.
The volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii has been erupting on-and-off since Dec. 23.
It’s shot tall fountains of lava high into the air and spilled molten rock across the caldera floor each time it’s come back to life.
The spectacle is a popular attraction for tourists.
The current episode is the 15th of the current eruption.
The shortest of the previous episodes lasted 13 hours while the longest went on for eight days.
Pauses in between episodes have ranged between 24 hours to 12 days.
Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes in Hawaii, including one that is submerged underwater.
The largest is Mauna Loa, which is also on the Big Island and which erupted in 2022.
Lava began bubbling out of Hawaii’s most active volcano once again on Tuesday as Kilauea’s sporadic eruption resumed.
The eruption restarted at midday when when molten rock began pouring out of a vent in Kilauea’s summit caldera, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a statement. The lava was contained within the caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and wasn’t affecting any residential areas.
The volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii has been erupting on-and-off since Dec. 23. It’s shot tall fountains of lava high into the air and spilled molten rock across the caldera floor each time it’s come back to life. The spectacle is a popular attraction for tourists.
The current episode is the 15th of the current eruption. The shortest of the previous episodes lasted 13 hours while the longest went on for eight days. Pauses in between episodes have ranged between 24 hours to 12 days.
Kilauea is one of five active volcanoes in Hawaii. The largest is Mauna Loa, which is also on the Big Island and which erupted in 2022.
Hawaii
Doctor allegedly pushed wife from Hawaii beauty spot, bashed her head with rocks after she refused to take photo with him
A doctor has been charged with trying to murder his wife by pushing her off a Hawaii beauty spot and then bashing her in the head with a rock — allegedly just for refusing to take a photo with him, according to authorities.
Gerhardt Konig, a 46-year-old anesthesiologist from Maui, was on vacation on Oahu with his 36-year-old wife, nuclear engineer Arielle Konig, when he allegedly pushed her off a hiking trail in the Pali Lookout, a famous panoramic viewpoint, according to cops.
He allegedly flipped because his wife refused to take a picture with him, law enforcement sources told Hawaii News Now.
The doctor also repeatedly punched his wife and hit her with the rock — and at some point, even tried to poke her with two syringes, according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser, which did not elaborate on whether they contained drugs.
Arielle Konig was rushed to a hospital in serious condition with multiple facial and head injuries after the alleged attack early Monday, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
Konig was arrested close to Pali Highway after a brief foot chase around 6:45 p.m. Monday, roughly eight hours after the alleged attack.
Pali Lookout was closed for the rest of Monday following the shocking incident, Hawaii’s Division of State Parks said in a statement on Monday.
Konig, who was employed by an independent contractor to provide medical services as an anesthesiologist in Maui, has been suspended, Maui Health said in a statement on Monday.
“Maui Health is committed to patient safety and upholding the highest standards of care,” the statement read.
“We have been made aware of the allegations against Gerhardt Konig, MD. Dr. Konig has been suspended from the Medical Staff pending investigation. Dr. Konig is employed by an independent entity contracted to provide medical services at various medical facilities on Maui, including Maui Memorial Medical Center.
“Maui Health takes these concerns and the safety of its patients very seriously and will cooperate with authorities as appropriate,” the state continued.
Kohl’s is closing 27 stores this weekend. Are any Milwaukee-area locations affected?
Keith Law predicts Braves will win 2025 World Series
First look: Beloved steakhouse returns at St. Pierre Steak & Seafood in Minneapolis
Retail clothing giant Primark opening first Georgia store in Augusta Mall
New nonstop flights from Indianapolis to New York launching soon
-
News1 week agoVance to Lead G.O.P. Fund-Raising, an Apparent First for a Vice President
-
News1 week agoTrump Administration Ends Tracking of Kidnapped Ukrainian Children in Russia
-
Business1 week agoEgg Prices Have Dropped, Though You May Not Have Noticed
-
Technology1 week agoThe head of a Biden program that could help rural broadband has left
-
Technology1 week agoDude Perfect and Mark Rober may be the next YouTubers to get big streaming deals
-
World1 week agoCommission warns Alphabet and Apple they're breaking EU digital rules
-
News7 days agoTrump’s Ending of Hunter Biden’s Security Detail Raises Questions About Who Gets Protection
-
News1 week agoU.S. to Withdraw From Group Investigating Responsibility for Ukraine Invasion