A young couple from Washington, parents to an 18-month-old son and expecting a daughter, tragically lost their lives while vacationing in Hawaii. Ilya and Sophia Tsaruk, who were 25 and 26 years old respectively, drowned off the coast of Maui, according to the local fire department and family members.
The Maui Fire Department and ocean rescue teams were alerted to a situation involving distressed swimmers at the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve in the early afternoon. Upon arrival, they found Sophia unresponsive in the water. She was quickly brought to shore where emergency responders attempted to resuscitate her.
The rescue team was informed that Sophia’s husband was also in the water but was missing. They returned to the ocean to search for Ilya. He was eventually located at the bottom of the sea, approximately 100 to 150 yards from the shore. Like his wife, he was brought to land and CPR was administered.
Despite the efforts of the emergency teams, neither Ilya nor Sophia could be revived. They were declared deceased at the scene, along with their unborn daughter, as confirmed by the Maui County Fire Department.
The Tsaruks leave behind their young son, Logan, who was staying with his aunt and uncle during his parents’ vacation in Maui. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help cover the funeral costs.
The couple was deeply involved in their church and had a strong faith, as stated on the fundraising page. “Ilya and Sophia both loved the Lord and were always serving in the church and serving people around them,” wrote Andrey Tupikov, the campaign organizer, in both English and Russian. 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 exceeded 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.