Two men who died in separate incidents last weekend were identified today by the Honolulu medical examiner.

A man who drowned about 3 p.m. May 14 in waters off Portlock was identified as John H. Sylva, 20, of Honolulu.

An autopsy found Sylva died of asphyxia due to drowning.

Sylva and a friend got in trouble when they went swimming in choppy waters near the surf spot China Wall. The friend was rescued by a man on shore. Firefighters found Sylva’s body.

A driver killed May 15 in a collision with a van that crossed a highway median in Kane'ohe was identified as Victor S. Palmares, 39 of Honolulu.

Palmares was at the wheel of a Ford van driving west at 7:20 a.m. on Kamehameha Highway near the Pali Golf Course when another van crossed the highway and slammed into the Ford.

Big Island prison escapee caught

Big Island police caught an escaped prisoner yesterday morning after he led Puna officers on a seven-mile car chase.

Blaine K. "Tiger" Faris, 41, had escaped April 29 from the minimum-security Hale Nani Correctional Facility in Hilo.

During a routine patrol, officers driving along the Hawai'i Belt Road saw Faris about to leave the parking lot of the Mountain View Minimart, police said. The officers turned around and tried to stop Faris, who sped off on Mountain View Gym road with four hitchikers still in his car; two of them were children.

Faris led the officers through Ueyama Camp and back onto the belt road, headed north.

He then led the officers onto South Kulani Road and into the Fern Acres subdivision. Faris stopped at a vacant house and ran into the home with the officers in pursuit.

Faris was charged with escape, resisting an order to stop, reckless driving and four counts of endangering as well as other traffic violations.

State Hospital escapee returns

A convicted sex offender sought by police after he escaped from Hawai'i State Hospital staff members Wednesday near Waikiki returned to the Windward facility yesterday.

Pomale Falaniko, 32, walked back to the Kane'ohe facility about noon yesterday.

He was riding in a state vehicle Wednesday when it stopped at Kalakaua Avenue and Kapi'olani Boulevard. He jumped out and was last seen running makai on Kalakaua.