A search-and-recovery mission for an 18-year-old boy who was swept away by rough waters off Rockaway Beach resumed Wednesday morning.
Emergency crews responded around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to Beach 73rd Street and Shore Front Parkway in Queens after receiving reports of a person missing in the water, according to the FDNY.
What You Need To Know
An 18-year-old boy went missing Tuesday afternoon after entering the water near Beach 73rd Street at Rockaway Beach in Queens
Rescue crews searched for hours using divers, helicopters, drones and marine units before suspending the operation overnight
Witnesses said a group of teenagers entered the water, and one teen was swept away by strong currents
Lifeguards are not yet on duty at New York City beaches
Rescue swimmers, drones and marine units searched the waters Tuesday afternoon alongside the NYPD and the U.S. Coast Guard, the department said. Divers were later removed from the water after conditions became too dangerous.
The search was suspended around 9 p.m. before resuming again Wednesday.
Witnesses said a group of teenagers had entered the water before realizing one of their friends was in trouble.
“It was about a group of kids. It was about 10, 12 of them. Five of them went running out. Four of them came out, and one of the four of them was carrying the boy out,” witness Nemaih dos Santos said. “But [because of] how far they were out in the water, it swept him out of his hands.”
Officials evacuated a portion of the beach after a group of people formed a human chain in an attempt to assist in the search.
No lifeguards were on duty, as New York City beaches do not begin staffed lifeguard coverage until the official start of the summer season on Saturday.