Tourism officials rallied around the grieving family of 25-year-old Bryanna Antone after the New Mexico college student's body was found on Waikiki Beach last week.

"It was a very emotional time for the family because they did not expect this tragic death and the mother was in a state of shock," said Jessica Lani Rich, president and executive director of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai'i's O'ahu chapter.

Rich spoke at yesterday's monthly meeting of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, thanking the state's lead tourism agency for continuing to provide funding to help visitors in trouble.

Each year, the society helps thousands of visitors statewide who run into emergencies, which range from car break-ins to deaths. The O'ahu budget for this year is $232,176, but community and industry support in the form of services and other in-kind donations greatly increases that help.

Although visitor arrivals dropped over the past year in the wake of global economic challenges, the society is finding more need for its services, Rich said.

Bryanna Antone was visiting Hawai'i — partly to celebrate her birthday — with her mother Barbara Antone, who was attending the American Dental Association's conference, and her two brothers.

The convention drew about 24,000 people to Honolulu.

The big news that tourism officials anticipated from that event was a boost in visitors and spending in a year that's seen plenty of bad news for the state's No. 1 industry.

Instead, officials found themselves offering condolences to the Antone family while police investigated her death.

Police have arrested 31-year-old Aaron M. Susa on suspicion of second-degree murder in the case. Witnesses told police that Antone and Susa were seen leaving the Waikiki Ohana West Hotel together at about 1:40 the morning she was found dead on the beach in front of the Royal Hawaiian hotel.

Rich helped plan a memorial service at Our Lady of Peace Cathedral in Downtown Honolulu.

Rich said of the family: "They are very grateful for your help. They could not have gotten through this tragedy without someone there, without the support of the tourism community and everyone who stepped up to help them."

Rich said Antone's brother, Brian, also known as R.J., attended the memorial Mass, which was attended by many in the community who offered their condolences. "He was very moved by the community who came out to support the family," she said.

"The mother watched the service on television," Rich said.

The Antone family asked Rich to thank emergency responders, detectives, hotel officials, and all those in Hawai'i who reached out to them.

Rich said the family said they didn't believe another community would have reached out to help in such a strong way.

Board chairman Kelvin Bloom thanked Rich for her work as did Joe Davis, the general manager of SMG, which runs the Hawai'i Convention Center.