SPRING LAKE — After nearly three days, authorities called off a search for the body of a 15-year-old from Ewing who got swept away by a rip current.

Josiah Jeremiah Robison and his sister got caught in the ocean current Sunday afternoon while swimming off Brighton Avenue Beach. While Josiah's sister was rescued by a passerby, her brother never resurfaced.

Police Chief Edward Kerr Jr. on Tuesday evening said that the search by local and State Police as well as the U.S. Coast Guard had been called off before the body could be recovered, calling it "very sad."

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to Josiah’s family and friends," Kerr said. "The Spring Lake Police Department and the community as a whole pray for the return of Josiah to his family."

A vigil was held Tuesday afternoon as the rescue operation continued.

Ewing schools Superintendent Michael Nitti said earlier in the dat that the district was "deeply saddened" at Josiah's death.

The teen would have been a sophomore this school year.

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