Authorities have called off the search for a New Jersey teenager who was carried away by a rip current as he sought relief from triple-digit heat on an unprotected beach.
The Coast Guard and local rescuers suspended the search for 15-year-old Naisere Nelson of Neptune Township on Friday.
He was one of three swimmers who got caught in the current Thursday night in Bradley Beach. The others were rescued by beachgoers.
Nasiere and a half dozen teenagers had come to the beach for relief from the sweltering heat. There were no lifeguards on duty -this early in the season they're only here on weekends.
Bradley Beach Police Chief Len Guida says more than 100 rescuers scoured the area Thursday night and Friday morning before the Coast Guard called off the search.
"This could have happened in April. With extraordinary heat, people come to the beach and they have to be aware. "
Friends and loved ones clasped hands at the water's edge and bowed their heads in prayer Friday to remember the lost teen.
"There's not one day u were with him you wouldn't laugh and smile. A good person, that's what I will miss about him most," said friend Jihad Peoples.
