NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Man dies after rescue from water

POIPU, Kauai » A 73-year-old male visitor from York, Pa., was rescued from the ocean while snorkeling at Prince Kuhio Beach Park yesterday but collapsed on the beach and died at Wilcox Hospital, Kauai officials said.

The man, whom police did not identify, had been snorkeling in front of the Lawai Beach Resort at about 9:30 a.m.

A surfer, who noticed the man was in distress, brought the man to shore, but the man collapsed moments later. A bystander performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until firefighters arrived and transported him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

WEST OAHU

Crews contain 55-acre brush fire

A brush fire scorched 55 acres of fallow agricultural land on the Waianae side of Old Kunia Road about a half-mile from the Hawaii Country Club yesterday afternoon, fire Capt. Terry Seelig said.

About 50 Honolulu firefighters, along with firefighters from the Schofield Barracks fire range control, contained the fire by 4 p.m.

The blaze, which began at 2:15 p.m., came close to but did not damage a Cox Communications building for an AM radio transmitter and tower, but did damage antenna guy wires.

The Honolulu Fire Department used six engines, two tankers, two brush trucks and a helicopter, which provided aerial observation and direction to ground crews. A Del Monte bulldozer helped clear overgrown agricultural roads and created a fire break, Seelig said.

Kalaeloa victim died of drowning

The Medical Examiner's Office said a 58-year-old Kaneohe man who died after surfing off White Plains Beach at Kalaeloa accidentally drowned.

Lawrence Joyce was found unresponsive in the water at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Military lifeguards were notified and attempted to resuscitate the man.

He was taken by ambulance to the Hawaii Medical Center-West in critical condition and was pronounced dead at 1:23 p.m.

NORTH SHORE

Surfer hospitalized in near drowning

A male surfer in his 20s was taken by ambulance to the hospital in critical condition yesterday morning after a near drowning on the North Shore, an Emergency Medical Services spokesman said.

EMS spokesman Bryan Cheplic said the incident happened at 6:40 a.m. at the surf spot known as Gas Chambers between Pupukea and Rocky Point.

HONOLULU

Suspect sought in bank robbery

Police are looking for a man between 20 and 30 years old who robbed the South King Street branch of Bank of Hawaii yesterday afternoon.

The man walked into the bank, at 1451 S. King St., at 1:57 p.m., approached the teller and passed a demand note.

He fled on foot in the Koko Head direction on South King Street, police said.

The man is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, 160 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a tattoo on his wrist. He was wearing a blue Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt, denim shorts, white sneakers and a white baseball cap.

Anyone with information concerning the suspect is asked to all CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cell phone.

Teen faces charges in alleged shooting

A 19-year-old attempted murder suspect who allegedly shot and critically injured a 16-year-old boy was arrested at about noon yesterday at the city prosecutor's office.

He is scheduled to appear today in Circuit Court.

Joshua K. Gonda was charged with attempted first-degree murder, two counts of attempted second-degree murder, three counts of use of a firearm and illegal place to keep a pistol. He is being held on $500,000 bail.

Gonda was indicted in September by a grand jury on attempted-murder charges in connection with a July 9 shooting after allegedly firing six rounds from a car at another car on Moanalua Freeway near the Puuloa Road offramp, wounding 16-year-old Roger Curioso. Curioso was left paralyzed from the chest down.

Gonda had been free on $25,000 signature bond in a federal case in which he pleaded guilty in April to selling methamphetamine to an undercover officer as part of a sting operation near Kalihi Uka Elementary School last year. He is awaiting sentencing Oct. 27.