Two teenagers went missing in the water on Friday just a few minutes after lifeguards at a busy New York City beach went off duty.
The boys, who police say are 16 and 17 years old, were swimming at Jacob Riis Park in Queens when witnesses say they saw a huge wave overtake them and the two never resurfaced. Rescuers from FDNY were deployed into the water after receiving an emergency call just after 6:00 p.m., but even the most experienced swimmers and divers were called back to shore.
The search continued for nearly five hours with marine units and fire boats, according to authorities.
Drones and helicopters deployed from a nearby airfield circled the area Saturday morning. Officials vowed to find the boys in what is now a recovery effort.
The teens have not been identified and the NYPD said it’s unclear if they knew how to swim. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry added that the situation is a parent’s worst nightmare.
“We think that it may be a riptide, but that’s still under investigation,” Daughtry said Friday.
