Coast Guard stops search for missing teenager on New York beach

The Coast Guard on Saturday called off the search for two teenagers who disappeared from the water a day earlier at a busy New York City beach.

The boys, who police say are 16 and 17 years old, disappeared on Friday just minutes after lifeguards finished their shift.

The boys were swimming in Jacob Riis Park in Queens when, according to witnesses, a huge wave hit them and the two did not resurface. New York Fire Department rescue crews were sent to the water after a 911 call just after 6 p.m., but even the most experienced swimmers and divers were called back to shore.

According to the Coast Guard, the search spanned a total length of more than 600 miles and involved helicopter, aircraft and boat crews.

Drones and helicopters deployed from a nearby airfield circled the area Saturday morning. Officials had vowed to find the boys, turning into a recovery operation.

New York Coast Guard Sector Commander Jonathan Andrechik said Saturday that his crews and partner agencies – including the NYPD and FDNY – conducted an “extensive search.”

“The decision to stop a search is always difficult and puts a lot of strain on everyone involved,” Andrechik said.

The identities of the teens have not yet been determined and the NYPD said it was unclear whether they could swim. NYPD Deputy Chief of Operations Kaz Daughtry added the situation was every parent’s worst nightmare.

“We believe it may be an undercurrent, but that is still under investigation,” Daughtry said on Friday.