A Japanese man was pulled out to sea Friday afternoon while swimming at a beach on a tiny island near the southeast coast of Bali, police said.

Shuta Masuda, 26, was swimming at the Secret Point beach in front of his lodgings at Villa Trevally on the island of Nusa Ceningan at 3 p.m. when a high wave dragged him out, according to local marine police chief Putu Ardana.

"The villa's staff had earlier warned him not to swim, but the victim didn't listen to her," Ardana said, adding that at the time of the incident, the weather was cloudy and the wind was very strong.

As of 8 p.m., a joint team of marine police, search and rescue agency personnel and local villagers had not been able to find Masuda, who is originally from Niigata Prefecture.

Police said Masuda had been staying at the villa since Thursday morning with his 27-year-old Austrian girlfriend, Lisa Hammerschmid.

Ardana said the search would resume Saturday.

Nusa Ceningan is located next to the island of Nusa Lembongan, where seven Japanese women were swept away by a current two years ago while diving. Two of them died.