13-year-old boy drowns in Daytona Beach Shores, officials say

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A 13-year-old boy drowned at Daytona Beach Shores on Sunday after apparently getting caught in a rip current, according to Volusia Beach Patrol.

Officials said the boy was swimming with two friends by Sunglow Pier late Sunday, after the lifeguards had gone home from the day, officials said.

At some point, the boy and his friends got caught in a rip current. Two of them were able to make it to shore, but the 13-year-old was not able to.

The boy was found unresponsive and life-saving measures were attempted, but were unsuccessful, according to emergency officials.

FOX 35 has learned that the boy attended Silver Sands Middle School in Port Orange, which is not far from Daytona Beach.

"It’s tragic. The whole community at Silver Sands Middle School is completely down," said resident Karen Dupont.

Others said they'd like to see more lifeguards out by the beach. The boy's drowning reportedly happened less than an hour after lifeguards finished their shifts for the day.

Click here for the latest Central Florida news, Florida stories and local headlines.