The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Saturday, May 16, 2020 that it suspended the search for mdissing Vero Beach High School senior who got lost at sea.

18-year-old Lenton Ward went missing after swimming near Jensen Beach on Wednesday.

Family members said Lenton “Ty” Ward was at Dollman Park Beachside with friends Wednesday, celebrating their upcoming graduation from Vero Beach High School. He was a football and lacrosse player for the school.

According to an incident report, Ward was last seen about 150 yards offshore. Deputies said the surf conditions were “extreme” when he vanished.

U.S. Coast Guard crews searched for Lenton Ward a total of 58 hours, covering 907 square miles, an area roughly the size of Rhode Island.The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office conducted an aerial search, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Martin County Sheriff’s Office and U.S Border Patrol also searched for Ward.

Family members also searched along the beach Thursday night for any sign of Ward.

CWO Clint Smith, SAR Controller for Sector Miami said, “The decision to suspend active searching in any case is never one we come to lightly. We offer our deepest sympathies to the family of Mr. Ward in this difficult time.