16-year-old vanishes in waves while swimming at NC beach with friends, reports say
_fitted.png "David Hernandez, 16, was at the beach with friends when he disappeared, family members said.")
Recovery efforts are underway for a 16-year-old who vanished in the ocean at a North Carolina beach, officials say.
David Hernandez disappeared on Saturday, April 1, a North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources public information officer told McClatchy News.
The teen was swimming near rocks at Fort Fisher Recreation Area Park when he disappeared, park rangers told WECT.
The teenager was at the beach with friends, his uncle said in a Facebook post.
Search efforts for the teen began Saturday, Katie Hall, a North Carolina Parks and Recreation public information officer told the Star News. High winds and strong currents impeded the search.
Friends and family have been aiding in the search, according to his uncle.
“We’re just heartbroken since he’s such a young man and to have him gone missing, celebrating, doing something he obviously enjoyed,” Hall told the Star News. “It’s so sad. We’re just heartbroken for the family, but we won’t give up until we find him.”
The teen’s mom, Idalia Hernandez, told WECT that she wants to find her son’s body for closure.
“He was a gift ... He was a super son,” she told the outlet, using a translator. “His soul was very pure. God definitely is gaining an angel.”
Kure Beach is about 16 miles south of Wilmington.
This story was originally published April 4, 2023 at 6:00 PM with the headline "16-year-old vanishes in waves while swimming at NC beach with friends, reports say."
