A man in his late 60s drowned yesterday while snorkeling on the North Shore.

The swimmer was with his son on the diamondhead side of the Turtle Bay resort yesterday when he got caught by a riptide at 10:15 a.m., said Bryan Cheplic, city emergency services spokesman.

Witnesses said the victim's son tried to help his father, then sought assistance from people nearby.

The man was taken to Kahuku Hospital in critical condition. He was pronounced dead shortly after 11 a.m., Cheplic said.

The victim was not identified.

The son was also taken to Kahuku Hospital for scrapes and bumps. He was listed in stable condition.

'LOST' ACTOR IN COURT FOR DUI

"Lost" actor Daniel Dae Kim is scheduled to make his initial court appearance this morning at Honolulu District Court for his arrest last month on drunken-driving charges.

Kim, who plays Jin-Soo Kwon on ABC's hit TV series, is the third cast member of the show to be picked up for DUI.

He was stopped by an officer who had seen him driving "erratically" at about 2:30 a.m. on South King Street on Oct. 25. Police said he had a blood-alcohol concentration of .168, more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent.

The other "Lost" actors who have gotten into trouble with drunken-driving charges on O'ahu are former cast members Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros, who both pleaded guilty.

SEASON PASS FOR WHALE WATCHING

Members of the Pacific Whale Foundation on Maui can buy a season pass for whale watching, good Nov. 24 through May 15.

The pass, currently offered for $279, allows unlimited whale watching on the foundation's boats. Non-members' cost is $399.

The Pacific Whale Foundation has 17 scheduled whale-watch cruises each day from Lahaina and Ma'alaea Harbors.

Call Pacific Whale Foundation today at 1-800-942-5311 or 808-249-8811, ext. 1.

HART ASSOCIATE DEAN AT HPU

John Hart has been promoted to the position of associate dean of Hawai'i Pacific University's College of Communication, the school announced Tuesday.

Hart will assist Communication Dean Steven Combs with the leadership and management of academic, curricular and faculty matters.

Hart joined HPU in 1999 as associate professor of communication and became assistant dean of the College of Communication in 2002. He now holds the academic rank of professor.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree in speech communication and history from Boston College, a master of arts degree in speech communication from the University of Houston and a Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Kansas. His scholarly research is in the area of myth in popular culture.