Big Island police said a 53-year-old Pahala man died after falling from a cliff and into the ocean early yesterday morning near "Ladders," a cliff area at South Point.

Police identified the victim as William Evangelista.

Evangeslista was night fishing with a friend on the cliffs of South Point, police said, when he fell off the cliff, apparently because of poor lighting.

Emergency services dispatchers received a 911 call at 12:31 a.m. Fire rescue personnel arrived at 1:05 a.m. and found the man's body in the water, about 50 feet from shore, with no signs of life, police said. An autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of death