WAILUKU, Maui — Police continue to investigate what the family of an 18-year-old Kihei man call a vicious and senseless attack during a party at Polipoli State Recreation Area early Wednesday morning, The Maui News reported today.

The mother, brother and sister of Jesse Jarvie pleaded Monday for witnesses to come forward to police and give their accounts of what happened at the party. They are offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest.

Jesse Jarvie remained semiconscious Monday after suffering a broken jaw, missing teeth and a fractured skull. He still hasn't been able to speak to investigators, said Lt. John Jakubczak of the Maui Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division.

"We have no additional information at this time," Jakubczak said Monday evening. "We still don't have a witness who has come forward or anyone who saw what happened. There are a lot of rumors out there. But we are still waiting for Mr. Jarvie to talk."

Police Lt. Wallace Tom said officials are not disputing that Jarvie was the victim of an assault, although police initially indicated it was an accident. Jarvie was discovered at the bottom of a 60-foot ravine past the top of Waipoli Road.

Dr. John Wright, the anesthesiologist who worked on Jarvie, said people don't roll down hillsides or fall off cliffs and have injuries only to their heads. Jarvie's eyes are nearly shut and his head is swollen to the size of a pumpkin, Wright said. Jarvie underwent more than nine hours of surgery.

The surgeon found a piece of metal in his teeth, leading the doctor to believe that the young man was struck with a blunt object of some kind, such as a baseball bat or baton, said the victim's father, Dennis Jarvie.

His mother, Tamilin O'Brien, said she couldn't thank enough the doctors and nurses who worked tirelessly on her son. She called them angels.

She said she's been told her son likely will be in the intensive-care unit for another two months and face years of rehabilitation. He also may have suffered brain damage, and she was told this trauma almost certainly will affect him emotionally.

Eric Jarvie said he and his brother went to a party with a DJ in the dark-and-isolated nature preserve.

They became separated while dancing after midnight Dec. 23.

Eric Jarvie, 22, said that when he went to look for his brother, he came across a coupe arguing. The young woman was shouting, demanding to know why her boyfriend had attacked a kid, the elder Jarvie said.

He said a few minutes later he ran into two other young men who also seemed to know what happened to "some kid," who was beaten up. But they intentionally pointed Eric Jarvie in the wrong direction, he said. Eventually, he discovered his younger brother unconscious.

Firefighters rescued the teenager about 3:30 a.m. and brought him by ambulance to Maui Medical Memorial Center.

"This is an ohana here still," O'Brien said. "We are supposed to be watching out for each other's children. Please, this kind of senseless violence is not acceptable. Please help us."

Anyone with any information is asked to call the MPD Criminal Investigation Division at 808-244-6425.

For more Maui news, visit www.mauinews.com.