The Coast Guard yesterday continued its investigation into what caused a 65-foot mast to snap on a commercial tour catamaran Friday afternoon, killing a teenage boy, seriously injuring two women, and slightly injuring several other passengers, including the boy's mother.

Killed was Jordan Loser, 13, of Riverside, Calif., according to the Honolulu medical examiner. The boy's parents, David and Catherine Loser, were part of a group of employees of AAA who were being rewarded for their work with a trip to Hawai'i.

A short, private seaside orchid scattering ceremony for Jordan was attended by his family and friends yesterday afternoon at the end of a walkway leading to the ocean at Kapahulu and Kalakaua avenues, said Jessica Rich, president and executive director of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i.

Rich, whose organization assisted the family in arranging for Jordan's body to be flown back to California, served as spokeswoman for the family. She said the service was attended by about 35 people, including some of the two dozen members of the tour group who had been aboard the catamaran Na Hoku II.

Rich said Jordan's parents were in mourning and that the tragedy had left the boy's mother especially grief stricken.

"It was just very, very sad," said Rich, who spent hours in the hospital emergency room with family and other victims Friday night. "And she was crying and crying. She's devastated."

Earlier yesterday, Rich and VASH bereavement volunteer Robert Gentry met with more than a dozen members of the tour group at the Sheraton Waikiki hotel to offer the organization's assistance in dealing with the situation.

"Because some of the people expressed a need, their company is providing professional counseling when they get back to Southern California," Rich said. "There are also children, friends of Jordan, who are having a hard time coping with what happened to him. So there are a lot of visitor victims involved in this incident."

Gentry said the more seriously injured 41-year-old woman was taken to The Queen's Medical Center with facial, arm and hand lacerations, as well as shoulder bruises. Gentry said the woman, initially listed in critical condition, was treated and kept overnight for observation. He said she was released yesterday.

The second woman, 45, was taken to Straub Clinic & Hospital with lacerations and bruises, and treated and released Friday night, he said. Gentry said Jordan Loser's mother suffered a minor foot injury while on board and that she was treated at Queen's.

The accident occurred near the Diamond Head buoy around 4:20 p.m. According to witnesses aboard the 45-foot catamaran, Jordan was pinned face down on the upper deck after the aluminum mast suddenly snapped and struck him. Passengers and crew were unable to free the boy, and firefighters responding to the emergency were only able to remove the mast by using air bags.

Jordan, who was unresponsive at the time rescuers worked to free him, was airlifted to Queen's, where he was pronounced dead.

Na Hoku II owner John Savio said Friday night he had no idea what could have caused the mast to buckle.

The Coast Guard is leading the investigation, with cooperation from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Honolulu Fire Department.

Services for Jordan Loser are pending.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.