"He doesn't deserve this," Davoris Carter's grandmother said. "He's just a kid"
Credit: 6abc Philadelphia
NEED TO KNOW
- A 14-year-old boy is missing after he entered the ocean off Wildwood, N.J., on a school trip on Monday, June 1
- First responders attended the scene and helped three swimmers to safety before authorities continued the search for Davoris Carter
- Davoris’ grandmother, Kenya Pippen, said the teen has special needs and criticized those on the trip for what she described as a lack of supervision
A teenage boy is missing after he entered the ocean off Wildwood, N.J., on a school trip, authorities have confirmed.
Just before 1:30 p.m. local time on Monday, June 1, a police officer was alerted to swimmers in distress, according to a joint press release shared by the Wildwood Fire Department alongside the Police Department and Beach Patrol.
Officers, firefighters and lifeguards attended the scene and found several people in the water. An officer helped three swimmers to safety, with one taken to the hospital and two treated on scene, but they realized Davoris Carter, 14, was still missing.
Credit: Getty
Speaking to ABC7, his grandmother, Kenya Pippen, described Davoris, who she said has special needs, as a "happy" and "great kid."
Searching for the teen, crews entered the water on rescue boards and personal watercraft, while the U.S. Coast Guard, New Jersey State Police and other local agencies assisted with boats and helicopters, per the statement.
After two hours of searching, beachside operations ended, but boats and helicopters continued to look for Davoris, officials shared.
Wildwood Fire Department chief Chief Ernie Troiano III told ABC7 that first responders were already on their way to the scene before the official dispatch was received, and said that strong currents made the rescue efforts more difficult.
"The water was running pretty strong north to south when we went down there, so our rescue efforts were focused on that. We took into consideration the tide cycle, the way the currents were running," he said.
Pippen told the outlet that the students on the trip all required one-to-one supervision, and said her grandson was with a family member who left for a moment to get food and didn't realize he'd entered the water.
She criticized the staff for what she described as a lack of supervision, particularly as there were reportedly no lifeguards on duty at the time. "The fact that only one staff member got into the water when there were several adults standing there … If you're scared of water, you don't let children in the water unsupervised, going that far out, not calling them back when they get out of your eyesight," she said.
Pippen told the outlet that Davoris entered the ocean fully clothed, leaving his swim shorts — which his mother later found — on the shore.
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She called his disappearance a "disgrace," explaining, "My grandson has been missing. It's cold here. He's been gone for hours. He doesn't deserve this. He's just a kid. He was supposed to graduate on Wednesday."
"As much as I want to cry, I'm so angry, because I cannot believe as adults you would allow something like this to happen."
PEOPLE reached out to the Wildwood Fire Department but did not immediately hear back.
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