No sign of missing 14-year-old swimmer in Ocean City

Rescue crews are continuing their search for a 14-year-old swimmer who got swept away in a rip current Sunday evening off Ocean City, N.J.

The Coast Guard said rescuers searched through the night for the boy, but he remained missing as of late this morning. The search was expected to continue throughout the day.

The Ocean City Police Department alerted the Coast Guard about the missing boy shortly before 7 p.m.

The boy, who was not identified, had been swimming with friends near 9th Street in Ocean City when they got caught up in a rip current. The other swimmers made it back to shore, but the 14-year-old was swept out.

Ocean City authorities said the Beach Patrol Rapid Response Team pulled a total of 14 people from the water.

Crews from the Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police, and Ocean City Fire Department, as well as several good Samaritans, have been searching for the boy. The teen was reported to be wearing white swimming shorts.

Hours listed for lifeguards at Ocean City beaches indicate the boy went into the water after guards were no longer on duty.

Rip currents are the chief cause of distress leading to rescues at beaches, according to the United States Lifesaving Association.

The powerful, fast-moving currents pull swimmers away from the shore.

They commonly occur at low spots, breaks in sandbars, and near structures like jetties and piers, according to the association.