Family mourns loss of Orem man found dead in Hawaii
WAILUA, Hawaii — Amie Soper remembers how her husband wanted to switch seats on a flight to Hawaii so an elderly couple could sit together.
"That's just how Ryan was," the 29-year-old Orem woman said. "He was that kind of person, incredibly compassionate and caring."
Looking back, she's grateful they didn't change seats, so she had those few hours with her husband before he died.
The 26-year-old father was found dead on Wednesday after being missing for nearly a week in Wailua, on the island of Kauai, in Hawaii.
Ryan Soper was vacationing with his wife and her family on April 15, kayaking and hiking near Wailua River, when he fell from a tree. Amie Soper said he landed on her mother, who was posing for a picture, breaking her mother's ankle and disorienting him.
"He felt embarrassed, really bad, and went down the trail," Amie Soper said. "My brother told him it was OK, and he said he needed a minute."
That was the last time anyone saw Ryan Soper until Wednesday.
Police and officials from the state Department of Natural Land and Resources searched for the Utah man using a few police dogs but didn't turn up anything. On Monday, he was officially reported missing, and search canines from Honolulu police were recruited to help with the search effort on Wednesday.
"Had we had the right kind of search dogs, I'm sure we would have found him alive days ago," Amie Soper said.
Instead, Ryan Soper was found in a pool above Secret Falls on Wednesday afternoon.
"I know he must have had a head injury from the fall," Amie Soper said. "I'm sure he was disoriented, trying to find his way back."
Ryan's father, Michael Soper, said he's grateful they know what happened and aren't left wondering. Even though it won't change what happened, Michael Soper hopes the tragedy can show that when people are injured and lost, more "aggressive procedures" need to happen.
"But you can't live life in reverse — it's not going to change the outcome," he said.
Amie Soper said that her husband was a loving man and great dad to their 5-year-old son, who is being taken care of by family for now.
Ryan Soper was studying anthropology at Utah Valley University, the same school from which his wife had recently graduated.
"He wanted to be just like Indiana Jones," she said, laughing. "Our 5-year-old thought it was cool. It's the easiest way to explain what he wanted to do."
Anyone wishing to help the family can contribute to the Ryan Soper Memorial Fund at Wells Fargo.
I don't know what I would do if someone I loved, my husband, disappeared, or died unexpectedly. Sure, that won't happen to me. But what if it did? Sometimes you forget how precious life is, and those around you are.
this must be soooo strange. I have been in similar situations where someone you know is a news story, or someone you love....and it is just....very surreal. It really makes you think about things you normally dont have time to think about (at least for me) Love you girl. My prayers are with you and his family!
ReplyDeleteVery heartbreaking! Hope his family and friends can find peace.
ReplyDelete