A teenager has died and one is missing after a boat carrying four teens capsized in Chincoteague Bay, Virginia.
Virginia Marine Police were notified around 9.20am on Saturday that a Jon boat had capsized near Curtis Merritt Harbor.
Witnesses told police that a wave hit the 16-feet boat, forcing it to turn over. All four teens were thrown into the sea. They added that a person managed to rescue two of the teenagers who stayed close to the boat.
The Coast Guard found the body of one of the teens. He has been identified as Cory Alles, 18, from Bentonville, Virginia.
Virginia Marine Police added that another 17-year-old is missing and that the search will continue.
The water temperature in the bay is currently around 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 Celsius).
Authorities haven’t identified the missing teenager or the two who were rescued, only saying that they include a 19-year-old man and another 17-year-old who were both taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
The US Coast Guard, Virginia Marine Police, Virginia State Police, Maryland State Police, and the Chincoteague Police Department are all involved in the response to the incident.
“The Virginia Marine Police and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission offers its deepest condolences to the families during this time,” a spokesperson told 13 News Now.
The families and next of kin of the teenagers have been notified of what happened, The Virginian-Pilot reported.