A 49-year-old Ocean View man drowned off South Point Tuesday night, Hawaii island police said today.

Police said Gordon Kimo Lopes died while scuba diving around 7 p.m.

A 47-year-old man told police that he was on shore at about 6:45 p.m. when his friend Lopes entered the water to go scuba diving for fish fronting the lighthouse at South Point. About a half-hour later, the friend heard Lopes calling for help. The friend called 911 about 7:15 p.m., but police and firefighters were unable to find the victim. Rough seas prevented firefighters from entering the water, police said.

A rescue boat from Keauhou arrived around 11 p.m. and firefighters used it to locate and retrieve the body, police said.

Lopes was pronounced dead at 2:59 a.m. today at Kona Community Hospital.

Police classified the case as an accident.