Ken Yamase, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation's executive director and a vocal fixture among Hawai'i high school athletic administrators, died yesterday morning after a spear fishing session in Puako on the South Kohala coast.

He was 59.

Yamase reportedly was diving alone. According to the Big Island Fire Department, rescue crews were called to the rocky shoreline along Puako Beach Drive at 9:24 a.m. and found onlookers had pulled Yamase from the water and were attempting to revive him after he stopped breathing.

"This is a complete shock to all of us," said Keith Amemiya, the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association's executive director. "Ken and I would talk over the phone or communicate via e-mail nearly every day. In fact, I just spoke to him late yesterday afternoon ... Ken's passing is a tremendous loss to not only the BIIF, but the rest of the state as well. No one worked harder and cared more about our high school athletic programs and their student-athletes than Ken."

Yamase took over as BIIF executive director in May 2006, and had been Waiakea High School's athletic director since 1989. He also coached baseball and girls basketball at Waiakea.

Yamase also had coached baseball at Campbell and Leilehua.

Among Yamase's survivors are his wife, Helene, son, Keith, and daughter, Kaleen.