Further details have emerged about the knife-attack incident on a snorkelling tour-boat off Hawaii’s Big Island reported on Divernet yesterday – including reports that its injured captain rescued his attacker from the sea following the assault.
The boat was a 15m catamaran called No Wiki operated by Hawaii Nautical and captained by the company’s employee Stan Lurbiecki, 62, a boat captain for the past 35 years.
The company, which runs whale- and dolphin-watching and snorkelling tours, had been conducting a private three-hour snorkel trip for a family of three on 16 April.
Avery Nissen, 21, visiting Hawaii from Overland Park, Kansas, was accompanied by his mother and sister, but after a brief time in the sea had returned to the boat while his relatives were snorkelling.
The captain told local press that Nissen had accessed a 25cm filleting knife from the boat’s galley and stabbed him in the lower torso from behind without provocation. He had been driving the boat back to Honokohau harbour in Kona and was still about 30 minutes away.
In the ensuing struggle the captain had managed to disarm Nissen but suffered further wounds to his head and hands in the process of defending himself. As the other family-members attempted to intervene, Nissen was said to have jumped into the water.
Man overboard
Despite his wounds Lurbiecki had turned the boat round to pick Nissen up with the help of crew-member Ian Cook before heading back to harbour, the sister helping to staunch his wounds while his attacker sat with his mother. Kona police and paramedics were waiting as the boat docked.
At Kona Community Hospital Lurbiecki underwent emergency treatment, including several blood transfusions, but was later reported to be in stable condition and in recovery.
Arrested by police, Nisssen was charged with second-degree (unpremeditated) attempted murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault, with bail set at $1.57 million. He is due to appear before Kona District Court tomorrow (20 April).
Mark Towill, owner of Hawaii Nautical, described the incident as ‘unprecedented’ and praised the captain for his response under extreme conditions.
