Man drowns off Kailua while trying to save son

A 44-year-old Albuquerque, N.M., man died yesterday while trying to save his 12-year-old son off Kalama Beach Park in Kailua.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner's office identified the man as Timothy Moy.* An autopsy has been scheduled for today to determine the cause of death.

At about 2:30 p.m., Moy's son ran into trouble while swimming near Wilikoki Place. Moy went to help with a bodyboard and also became caught in the current, police said. A bystander at the beach pulled the pair out of the water, police said.

Paramedics took Moy in critical condition to Castle Medical Center, where he later died. The boy was taken to Castle Medical Center in serious but stable condition, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.

Ross Word, a South Carolina resident staying on Wilikoki Place, spoke with the man who pulled the victim to shore.

"They were on the beach, and they heard the 12-year-old son yell for help," Word said. "They saw the father. The father didn't look right, so he went out with his boogie board."

"He was at least 100 yards out," Word said. "When he got out there, the dad was unconscious."