A pregnant mother and her husband drowned while on vacation in Hawaii, leaving their 18-month-old son orphaned.
Ilya, 25, and Sophia, 26, Tsaruk, of Snohomish, near Seattle, Washington, were believed to be snorkeling off the coast of the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve on Maui when they got into trouble Saturday.
The Maui Fire Department was dispatched to the area after a report of “swimmers/snorkelers in distress,” the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
Sophia was pregnant with a girl, according to Andrey Tupikov, who is a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral expenses and posted a photo of the couple with their son on the page.
In her Instagram profile photo, the expectant mother of two was seen holding her pregnant belly.
The couple leaves behind an 18-month-old son, Logan, who was staying with his aunt and uncle when the tragedy occurred.
It is believed that Ilya and Sophia Tsaruk of Snohomish, Washington, were snorkeling off the coast of the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve on Maui when they reportedly drowned
Sophia, 26, was pregnant with a girl. The 26-year-old was found unconscious and pulled from the water, about 100 to 150 meters from shore
When rescuers arrived at the scene around noon, they found the 26-year-old woman unconscious and pulled her from the water, about 100 to 150 meters from shore.
Ilja was later found at the bottom of the ocean and brought to shore.
Both victims were resuscitated, but rescuers were unable to save them. Emergency medical services pronounced them dead.
According to the fire department, the waves were relatively calm that day and the area is not known for its currents.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the area where the couple was swimming is unguarded. The nearest lifeguard station is at Makena State Beach Park.
Chris Stankil, spokesman for the fire department, believes the couple was snorkeling, given the location where they were found, but that is not certain.
Ilya, 25, was found at the bottom of the ocean and brought back to shore. Both victims were given CPR, but rescuers were unsuccessful and they were pronounced dead (Photo: Ahihi-Kinua Nature Reserve)
The area where the couple was swimming is unguarded. The nearest lifeguard station is at Makena State Beach Park (pictured: Ahihi-Kinua Nature Reserve)
However, he said the incident report does not mention that the couple was found with equipment when Ocean Safety personnel picked them up.
In a tribute to the couple on the GoFundMe page, Tupikov said they were active in church and that “Sophia had the voice of an angel and they sang together with Ilya in a worship group at their church.”
“The Kovalevich and Tsaruk families are in mourning today and this pain will not go away soon, but we continue to pray and lean on the Lord,” Tupikov wrote.
“We are blessed to have had them both in our lives and cherish the wonderful memories and moments we shared with them.”
The fundraiser has exceeded its goal of $100,000, raising nearly $105,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
According to Tupikov, the money will be used for the funeral and to return the couple’s bodies to Washington.