Search for boat boy scaled down

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Rescue teams have scaled down their search for a boy missing since he and a friend capsized in a rowing boat.

Kyle Moore, 14, from Portland, Dorset, took a rowing boat from a boatyard with his friend, also 14.

His friend was rescued, but Kyle has not been seen since the boat capsized in the early hours of Sunday. Only the boat's oars have been found.

A coastguard spokesman said search efforts at sea had been reduced but the land search would continue.

Lee Fisher, Portland Coastguard rescue co-ordination manager, said volunteers, coastguards, search and rescue teams and police had covered 40-square miles of sea and land between Portland Harbour and Ringstead since 0200 GMT on Sunday.

He said: "Sadly, we have not been able to find any sign of Kyle.

"In deciding to scale down the search, we have considered survivability, sea temperatures and weather conditions.

"The search area has been covered many times over, regrettably without a positive outcome."

'Treacherous' sea

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) spokesperson said the boys had made a 999 call at about 0200 GMT on Sunday, saying they had taken a boat and were out in Portland Harbour.

"They were laughing and joking," the spokesperson said.

"About 45 minutes later things took a turn for the worst. The boat seemed to capsize and they were thrown into the water."

Kyle's friend, who has not been named, is recuperating with his family at home.

He was rescued at about 0300 GMT on Sunday, by the RNLI lifeboat.

Kyle was not wearing a lifejacket and coastguard teams described the sea conditions as "treacherous".

Pupils at the boys' school, Royal Manor Art College, were being offered counselling following the tragedy.

Jan Botterill, vice-chair of the governors, said: "They are in a state of flux because nothing has been established with the second boy."

Raymond Coleman, neighbour to Kyle and his mother, said: "They are always up to things, boys his age, pranks and that, but every time he came into my house he was a proper gentleman, very polite."

He added: "I don't think they knew anything about boats. He is only a boy."