A family trip to Hawaii turned into a tragedy. Ilya (25) and Sophia Tsaruk (26), a loving couple from Snohomish, Washington, and their unborn child were found dead in the waters off Maui. This event leaves their 18-month-old son orphaned. The Maui Fire Department found the bodies of both Ilya and Sophia after reports of "snorkelers in distress".
The Tsaruk couple visited the Hawaiian island alongside other couples, including Ilya's brother and his wife. Reports suggest that after the couple decided to go swim at Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, Ilya was nowhere to be found. This prompted Sophia to head back into the waters in the hopes of finding her husband.
Unfortunately, Sophia, who was pregnant with the couple's second child, was found unresponsive in the water by the rescue team. Later, the team found the body of Ilya on the ocean floor and, after administering CPR on both, pronounced them dead.
The rescue team reported that the surf conditions were calm during the day of the couple's passing. Additionally, the incident report does not mention any swimming equipment found in the area.
The Legacy Of The Tsaruk Family
The tragic passing of Ilya, Sophia, and their unborn daughter - first reported in The Maui News - leaves behind Logan, their firstborn. He was staying with his aunt and uncle at the time. The service for the Tsaruk family will take place on September 25, 2024.
Since the event occurred, members of the family have paid their respects to the couple. Andrey Tupikov, a family member, created a GoFundMe page. It will help cover the couple's transport from Hawaii, the funeral expenses, as well as a fund for baby Logan.
"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 starts saying on the page. The GoFundMe has raised 120,000 USD as of September 18, 2024.
Tupikov remembers the couple as an essential part of their church: "Ilya and Sophia both loved the Lord and were always serving in the church and serving people around them". He mentioned Sophia having "the voice of an Angel."
