Investigators say a Kansas tourist was charged after passengers restrained him on a catamaran returning from a snorkel trip off Hawaii Island.
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — A tourist from Kansas was charged with attempted murder after police said he attacked a Kona boat captain with a knife during a Thursday snorkel tour, leaving the veteran mariner hospitalized and sending the vessel back to Honokohau Harbor under emergency conditions.
What began as a commercial tour on one of Hawaii Island’s busiest visitor coasts quickly became a criminal case with major unanswered questions. Police say the suspect, 21-year-old Avery Nissen of Overland Park, was subdued by other passengers before the boat returned to shore. Investigators have said little about why the attack happened, but the severity of the charge, the extent of the captain’s injuries and the unusually high bail amount show how seriously authorities are treating an incident that shocked the local boating industry.
The sequence laid out by police begins Thursday afternoon on a three-hour snorkel trip off the Kona coast. Authorities said officers were dispatched at 3:21 p.m. to Honokohau Harbor because a fishing vessel was returning from sea with both a stabbing suspect and an injured victim aboard. Investigators said Nissen attacked the captain with a filet knife while the boat was still on the water. Other passengers on board stepped in and restrained him before the vessel reached shore, according to police. Hawaii News Now later reported that dispatch traffic described a 50-foot white sailing catamaran approaching the harbor with two injured people aboard, one bleeding from the hand and another suffering a wound to the lower abdomen. That radio traffic offered a rough real-time picture of the emergency as it unfolded, with first responders preparing at the dock before the catamaran reached land and medical crews could take over.
Police said the captain, a 62-year-old man, suffered a stab wound in the lower abdomen and multiple cuts to the head and hands. He was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where police said he remained in stable condition. Hawaii News Now identified the captain as Stanley Lurbiecki, a longtime figure in the local boating business. The boat was described as a catamaran owned by Hawaii Nautical, one of the companies operating tours from the Kona side of Hawaii Island. Company owner and president Mark Towill told Hawaii News Now that the crew reacted with professionalism under pressure and said he was grateful the team was safe. He also said the captain was stable and recovering. What police have not yet described is just as important. Investigators have not publicly said whether there was an argument before the attack, whether the suspect knew the captain, whether alcohol played a role, or what witnesses told detectives about the minutes leading up to the stabbing.
On the Big Island, where ocean tours are woven into the daily rhythm of both tourism and local business, a violent incident aboard a charter vessel carries a wider impact than a single arrest. Kona’s west coast is known for snorkel trips, fishing charters and sunset cruises, and Honokohau Harbor serves as a key point where workers, visitors and emergency responders intersect. That setting helps explain why the case traveled quickly through local news and marine circles. Tour boats are tight, enclosed spaces once they leave shore, and the options for escape or separation are limited if a confrontation turns violent. The use of a filet knife also highlights how ordinary boat equipment can become dangerous in seconds. While authorities have not suggested any broader threat to the public, the case has unsettled an industry that sells calm, scenic outings and depends on crews being able to manage risk in an already demanding ocean environment.
Police said prosecutors reviewed the case Friday and approved charges of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault. Nissen’s bail was set at $1,570,000, and his first court appearance was scheduled for Monday, April 20, in Kona District Court. That hearing is likely to mark the first time the allegations are laid out in a more formal public setting. It could also reveal whether police believe the assault was planned, impulsive or tied to facts not yet released. For now, the public record remains narrow: a time stamp from police, a harbor response, a named suspect, an injured captain and a list of felony charges. Police have also asked anyone with information to contact Detective Bradley Llanes, a sign that investigators are still collecting statements and evidence. Depending on what witnesses, crew members and passengers tell detectives, the court record may expand quickly in the days ahead.
There is also a quieter part of the story that sits beyond the charging document. On a tour meant for sightseeing and snorkeling, passengers suddenly found themselves in the role of first responders, holding down a suspect while the boat made for shore. Crew members had to care for an injured captain while keeping others aboard calm and safe. Towill’s remarks reflected that strain, praising the team without overstating what happened. The captain’s injuries, especially cuts to the head and hands, point to a struggle at close range. Yet by the time the vessel reached Honokohau Harbor, the immediate danger had been contained by the people on board. In a case still missing a known motive, that fact stands out: the outcome appears to have depended heavily on swift intervention by passengers and crew in the middle of the ocean, far from the resources available on land.
As of April 19, the captain was reported stable, the suspect was facing three felony counts, and the case was set to move next to Kona District Court on Monday, April 20, where investigators and prosecutors may begin filling in the gaps left by the first police accounts.
Author note: Last updated April 19, 2026.