Tourist charged with attempted murder, accused of stabbing veteran boat captain on snorkel tour

HONOLULU (KHNL/Gray News) - A 21-year-old Kansas man has been charged with attempted murder and assault in connection with a stabbing on a boat tour off the Kona coast.

Hawaii County police said Avery Nissen of Overland Park was arrested after he allegedly stabbed a local boat captain Thursday afternoon.

Nissen was said to be a part of a snorkeling tour on a catamaran owned by Hawaii Nautical.

Police and an ambulance responded to 911 calls around 3:30 p.m. as the boat was returning to Honokohau Harbor.

Sources identified the captain as 62-year-old boating industry veteran Stanley Lurbiecki. Police said he sustained a stab wound to his lower abdomen, along with numerous knife cuts to his head and hands.

Authorities said Nissen attacked Lurbiecki with a fillet knife. The Hawaii Nautical crew says they intervened to stabilize the situation.

Lurbiecki was taken to Kona Community Hospital. Those close to him say he was in stable condition.

“Stan is stable, he’s recovering. He’s a real hero and a fighter,” Mark Towill, owner and president of Hawaii Nautical, said.

Towill commended Lurbiecki for his actions despite being seriously injured.

“I’m just incredibly grateful that our team is safe and that the situation ended the way it did,” he 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.”

The motive for the attack is currently unknown.

Nissen’s bail was set at $1.57 million. His initial court appearance is scheduled for Monday in Kona.