Coney Island Beach.Photo:Theodore Parisienne for NY Daily News via Getty Images
Theodore Parisienne for NY Daily News via Getty Images
The search is still on for a missing 15-year-old who disappeared while swimming at Coney Island Beach on Thursday afternoon.
Onlookerstold CBS New Yorkthat the brothers looked as though they didn’t know how to swim.
“The kids were playing in the water,” one witness told the outlet. “I warned them, the water’s very, very dangerous, don’t play with the water. But they didn’t say nothing to me. They continued jumping and playing. Then I saw everybody screaming.”
Rescuers including a retired firefighter were able to pull the older brother — who was conscious and breathing — to shore, but were unable to save Markel, per the station.
“Then we went back and started looking and see where he was located, but we lost contact with him. We didn’t see him at all,” John McLean, a retired FDNY member, told the station.
In reference to the 16-year-old, he added: “He was spent, he was exhausted, he was ready to drown, just about ready to drown. We got him in time. He was in shock. I believe it was his brother out there.”
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Rescuers search for missing teen at Coney Island Beach.Theodore Parisienne for NY Daily News via Getty Images
By 3:30 p.m., the rescue search for Markel was called off, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation said.
source: people.com
