Coast Guard Searching For Missing Boy In Atlantic City
By Kim Glovas, Robin Rieger
ATLANTIC CITY, Nj. (CBS) -- A 10-year-old boy from the Philadelphia area went missing in the water off of Atlantic City on Sunday evening.
The Coast Guard was searching for a boy who was swimming with his sister near the boardwalk in Atlantic City and disappeared around 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Cindy Oldham said teams were looking for the boy in the ocean and on land.
"Two Crews aboard two, 25-foot Response Boat Smalls from Station Atlantic City, a helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City and local Atlantic City police are searching for the child," said Oldham.
A combination of about 20 police officers and firefighters went through waves lit by boats and emergency vehicles hoping to find the child, but the dark and rough conditions in the water forced officials to suspend the search for the night at around 9:15 p.m.
"It's probably going to be a recovery operation, unfortunately," said Atlantic City Emergency Management Director Tom Foley. " We also had police officers search the entire area, up and down the boardwalk, all the way to Ventnor looking for the young man. Unfortunately, we believe by the eyewitness accounts that the young man was in the water."
Foley said the lifeguards left at 6 p.m. and believes the kids went into the water about an hour later. He said the beach patrol reported strong rip currents on Sunday.
Officials said the boy's father tried to help, but could not get his son.
Good Samaritans rescued the girl and called 9-1-1, but could not reach her brother. She was expected to be okay.
The missing boy was wearing orange shorts.
Anyone with information on the boy is urged to call the Coast Guard at 609-344-6595.
