Agony of missing Dylan's family: Desperate friends describe how wave swept boy, 14, out to sea as St Jude's Storm approached
Tragedy: Emergency services called off the search for Dylan Alkins after he was dragged into the water
Hundreds of people have posted their support for 14-year-old Dylan Alkins after emergency services ended the search off the coast of East Sussex at Newhaven after six hours last night.
He was playing with friends yesterday afternoon when the current pulled him into the sea.
Rhys Davey was at the scene when the incident occurred and described what happened.
The boy, also aged 14, said on Facebook: 'Me and Zach Bennett were down the beach with Dylan and some others. A massive wave came and washed him out in front of my eyes.
'There was nothing we could do apart from wait - he was in the water for about two hours and it is a body recovery which means he did not make it.
'Me and Zack are in tears together and don’t know what to do, Dylan was a very good mate of ours and we have some very funny memories. He will be missed and loved by loads of people.'
Waves: Friends posted a photo of the 14-year-old playing weeks ago, one-and-half miles down the coast from the spot where he was swept away
An eyewitness told BBC Radio Sussex he feared being abused by the youths and did not go ahead with his instinctive plans to warn them of the dangers of standing so close to the seafront.
He said: 'I thought about warning them to stay away as it is dangerous but thought they would tell me to go away as they were young lads. The conditions were atrocious but I wish I had gone over to warn them now.'
More than 1,800 people have visited the Facebook page 'RIP Dylan Alkins' with a number of friends posting their tributes and memories.
Jodie Mead said: 'RIP Dylan. You are an amazing boy and your life has been taken away far too early. God only takes the good people.'
Kirby-Jade Herriott said: 'The sky has gained another star, one that will shine brighter than the rest, I will look up at it every night and will think of the memories we shared.'
Emergency services: The operation has become one of search and recovery, according to the Maritime Coastguard Agency. The rescue was called off last night
Another friend said: 'A little sadness today goes to Dylan Atkins, Who was swept out in Newhaven sea yesterday. Such a shame you got caught up in God's fury... RIP - Good Night, God Bless.'
'The conditions were atrocious but I wish I had gone over to warn them now'
Eyewitness
Eyewitness
Rescue teams, including a coastguard helicopter and a RNLI lifeboat, scoured the area in what were described as 'atrocious conditions' with poor visibility.
Last night, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the operation had now become one of search and recovery.
The Newhaven Lifeboat said at 9.45pm that all teams searching for the boy had been stood down for the night by the coastguard.
Car park: Sussex Police, who were still at the scene today, confirmed Dylan had been swept away by 'strong currents' and said the incident was distressing
The team tweeted: 'Our thoughts go to the boy’s family and friends at this sad time.'
'There was nothing we could do apart from wait - he was in the water for about two hours'
Rhys Davey, friend
Rhys Davey, friend
A MCA spokesman said that rescue teams struggled in difficult conditions. She explained that police were with the boy’s family and 'they are distraught'.
A Sussex Police spokesman said: 'This is a very distressing incident.'
Meanwhile, the public was reminded of the dangers of being at seashores in adverse weather, especially with the severe weather conditions overnight. The advice given was to stay clear.
Called off: A helicopter circles over the water as emergency services spent six hours searching for the schoolboy in brutal conditions
On the seafront: Dylan Alkins, 14, of Newhaven, East Sussex, was swept out to sea yesterday as the St Jude storm gathered momentum
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