A 22-year-old California man was in critical condition after being washed out to sea off the Big Island.

Witnesses told firefighters the man was standing at the base of a cliff in Paradise Park when a wave washed him out to shore about 3:30 p.m. Sunday, said Big Island firefighter Mark Mangibin.

When he tried to climb back up the cliff, another wave washed him out to sea. Firefighters found the man floating face down in the water about 100 meters off shore from Paradise Drive. They scaled the cliff and swam out to the man, and a fire helicopter lifted him out of the water.

Firefighters took the man to the hospital in critical condition, Mangibin said.