Amityville man missing in N.J. surf ID'd

New Jersey State Police Sunday were continuing to look for an Amityville man who disappeared while swimming with a friend off an unprotected stretch of beach in central New Jersey on Saturday. The U.S. Coast Guard said Sunday it had called off its search.

The swimmer, identified by Deal, N.J., police as Joshua Nevarez, 29, of Amityville, disappeared off Colts Beach while swimming with a female acquaintance at 4:30 p.m., a Coast Guard spokeswoman told Newsday Sunday.

The female swimmer, who has not been identified, made it back to shore with help from other swimmers and immediately called 911, the Coast Guard said. A search vessel was dispatched to the scene - but the search was suspended late Saturday because of darkness.

The search resumed briefly Sunday, but then the Coast Guard turned over the main search to state police and suspended its own search.

Officials told The Associated Press no lifeguards were on duty when Nevarez disappeared. That could not immediately be verified by Newsday.