A snorkeling trip off Hawaii turned violent in seconds, with passengers forced to tackle a man after police say he suddenly stabbed the boat’s captain multiple times mid-tour.
Authorities on Hawai‘i Island say 21-year-old Avery Nissen, of Overland Park, Kansas, is accused of launching the attack during a three-hour excursion Thursday afternoon, leaving the 62-year-old captain seriously injured.
The victim, identified as longtime boating veteran Stanley Lurbiecki, suffered multiple stab wounds to his head and hands, along with a separate wound to his lower abdomen, according to police. He was rushed to a local hospital and remains in stable condition.
The violence broke out around 3:21 p.m. as the vessel returned to Honokōhau Harbor in Kailua-Kona.
What began as a routine outing quickly unraveled as passengers scrambled to understand what was happening.
Investigators say Nissen allegedly used a filet knife to carry out the attack, catching the captain off guard while others were still recovering from snorkeling in the water.
Passengers stepped in before the situation escalated further. Police said those onboard managed to restrain Nissen after he began attacking Lurbiecki, preventing additional injuries as the boat made its way back to shore.
A motive has not been identified. The catamaran involved in the incident is owned by Hawaii Nautical, a tour company that regularly operates excursions in the area.
Mark Towill, the company’s owner and president, said the captain is already showing signs of recovery after the ordeal.
“Stan is stable, he’s recovering. He’s a real hero and a fighter,” Towill said.
He also pointed to the actions of the crew and passengers, crediting them with helping contain the situation.
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“I’m just incredibly grateful that our team is safe and that the situation ended the way it did,” Towill said.
“I’ve never heard of anything like this happening in this industry before, and just really grateful to all of our team for the way that they reacted, the professionalism that was demonstrated.”
Nissen now faces a string of felony charges, including second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault.
A judge set his bail at $1.57 million during his first court appearance Monday, where the charges were formally introduced.
The case has taken a complicated turn as details about Nissen’s mental state emerge.
According to court documents, he is autistic and reportedly panicked while his family was snorkeling during the excursion.
After the group returned to the boat, Lurbiecki said Nissen approached the upper deck before stabbing him from behind.
Nissen has been ordered to undergo a mental evaluation before the case proceeds.
Defense attorney Megan Kau weighed in on how that could factor into the case, though she made clear it does not automatically shield him from prosecution.
“My first reaction was he must be onset with some type of mental health disorder,” Kau said, adding autism is not a strong legal defense.
“We rarely see autism as a defense because autism is not like bipolar or schizoaffective disorder to where it causes a person to act out violently.”
Even if Nissen is deemed mentally fit to stand trial, additional hurdles remain.
Under Hawaii law, three separate doctors must evaluate whether he can be held criminally responsible based on his mental condition at the time of the attack.
“That’s a very high standard in Hawaii. How can you prove that, right? Like, we all presume that the human being next to us knows the difference between right and wrong and can conform his actions there too,” Kau said.
His next court appearance is scheduled for June 17.
The Hawaii attack is one of several recent violent incidents involving tourists and public spaces that have drawn attention.
In Mexico, authorities say a Canadian tourist was killed after a gunman opened fire from atop a pyramid at the Teotihuacán archaeological site near Mexico City.
Officials said the shooter later took his own life after the attack, which left at least six others injured.
Four people were struck by gunfire, while two others were hurt during the chaos as crowds tried to escape.
Among those wounded were individuals from multiple countries, including Canada, Russia and Colombia, according to security officials.
Video from the scene showed terrified visitors scrambling for cover as shots rang out from halfway up the Pyramid of the Moon.
Tim Chung, an American tourist visiting from Seattle, said he initially didn’t grasp what was happening until people began falling.
‘All of a sudden I see a guy fall off one of the viewing platforms and then I heard a shot and another person fall off and then I knew something bad was happening and heard screams,’ Chung told NBC News.
He later described the scene as ‘unbelievably sad,’ noting that his group escaped without injuries.
Another incident unfolded months earlier in Bali, Indonesia, where an American tourist was detained after unknowingly violating strict local rules tied to a religious holiday.
Authorities said the man was walking through Sukawati Village during Nyepi, a Hindu Day of Silence when all activity across the island comes to a halt.
The tourist, identified as Amrhein, was stopped by traditional security officers known as Pecalang during a morning patrol.
“He admitted he was forced to leave his hotel in Ubud because his stay had expired,” Gianyar Police Chief AKBP Chandra Kesuma told reporters.
Officials said Nyepi requires residents and visitors alike to remain indoors, with no travel, lights or noise permitted during the observance.
After being taken to a police station, the tourist declined an offer to remain there overnight and instead requested alternative accommodations.
Authorities later arranged for him to stay at a nearby villa until the restrictions were lifted.
