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Waipahu man dead, wife missing after charter boat sinks off Alaska

kevin knodell, the honolulu star-advertiser
·4 min read

Jun. 1—A Waipahu man is dead and his wife remains missing after a fishing charter boat they were aboard sank off southeast Alaska on Sunday, according to Alaska State Troopers.

—UPDATE :

A Waipahu man is dead and his wife remains missing after a fishing charter boat they were aboard sank off southeast Alaska on Sunday, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Police have identified a body recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard as 57-year-old Maury Agcaoili, who was found unresponsive in the water near Sitka, Alaska. His wife, Danielle Agcaoili, 53, is among four people who are still missing.

The Coast Guard has suspended its search after finding the fishing charter boat the people were on empty and partially submerged about 100 yards from where they recovered the body.

"The family of Maury and Danielle Agcaoili appreciates all of the kind words and condolences during this difficult time, " said a statement from the Agcaoili family Wednesday evening. "Their family and friends will remember them as loving and encouraging parents. We ask that people respect the families privacy as they continue to grieve."

The search involved the Coast Guard, the Sitka Fire Department Dive Team, Sitka Search and Rescue, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska State Troopers and several local boats that volunteered to help in the search. After more than 20 hours and covering about 825 square miles, authorities called off the search at 9 :30 p.m. Monday.

The search began Sunday evening after Kingfisher Charters reported that the 30-foot aluminum charter vessel with five people aboard was overdue, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The boat was last seen underway that afternoon off Sitka.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Ian Gray said the area was experiencing 6-to 11-foot seas Sunday. The Coast Guard found the boat partially submerged off Low Island, about 10 miles west of Sitka on Sunday evening and recovered Agcaoili about 100 yards from the boat. Alaska salvage firm Hanson Maritime is assisting with coordination and vessel recovery efforts.

"There was no immediate significant damage to the hull of the vessel to indicate that it ran aground or anything like that, " Gray said Tuesday.

The Coast Guard notified Alaska State Troopers at 10 :22 p.m. that the vessel had capsized. According to an Alaska State Troopers dispatch, "one person was located unresponsive in the water near the vessel by the U.S. Coast Guard and transported to the Hospital in Sitka where they were pronounced deceased."

An Alaska State Troopers spokesperson said that the agency has since taken over the investigation. The other three missing people are Robert Solis and Brandi Tyau of Canoga Park, Calif., and 32-year-old boat master Morgan Robidou of Sitka.

"Despite our best efforts and those of several partner agencies, we were not able to find the four remaining individuals, " Coast Guard Capt. Darwin Jensen, whose area of responsibility includes southeast Alaska, said in a statement. "Suspending a search is never an easy decision. We extend our deepest sympathy to the loved ones during this difficult time. Our sincere thanks to community partners and the good Samaritan vessels who rapidly responded to help in the search."

According to social media profiles, Maury Agcaoili was a graduate of McKinley High School while Danielle Agcaoili attended Kaimuki High School and went on to graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with dual majors in business administration and travel industry management.

During the 1990s, the two worked together at Hawaiian Island Creations. Maury Agcaoili went on to spend several years working as a training scheduler for the American Red Cross in Honolulu and most recently worked as a debt collector at Alert Alarm Hawaii. Since 2015, Danielle Agcaoili had been working as a real estate loan servicing officer at First Hawaiian Bank.

In a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, First Hawaiian Bank CEO Bob Harrison said "it is with profound sadness that we extend our condolences to the family and friends of Dani Agcaoili. She was a beloved member of our First Hawaiian Bank 'ohana. We are keeping Dani, her husband, and her family members in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."------The Associated Press contributed to this report.