The Coast Guard uses a thermal-imaging camera to search from its helicopter for the missing Barrington teen.

The Providence Journal / Ruben W. Perez Ruben W. Perez

BARRINGTON — A 17-year-old boy, identified by witnesses as a Barrington High School student, was missing in the Barrington River last night after he fell from a kneeboard that was being pulled by a motorboat.

The town’s fire and police departments were assisted by area law enforcers and fire crews, the Coast Guard and state police. Residents in their boats also joined in the search.

A Coast Guard helicopter equipped with infrared technology was also called for the search.

Barrington Fire Chief Gerald Bessette said he intended to continue the search until midnight and it would resume in the morning.

Bessette said that the boy’s three friends who were on the boat when the incident occurred started searching the water immediately when they realized he was missing. The friends said that he was not wearing a life jacket.

“They called 9-1-1 right away,” Bessette said.

The youths then continued to look for the missing teen with other searchers “for about 90 minutes and then we called them in and took them to police headquarters” Bessette said.

The missing boy fell in the water at about 7:30 p.m., and the search became more difficult with the approaching darkness. “We just didn’t have enough light,” Bessette said.

The fire chief added that he believed the boy fell into the water behind Town Hall, just south of the Barrington landmark, known as the white church bridge. The search took place in water around the bridge and near Walker’s Farm in Hundred Acre Cove.

The bridge was crowded with about 100 onlookers, many of them apparently friends or acquaintances of the missing boy. Youths at the scene hugged each other as they watched the rescue efforts and called others to tell them about the accident.

According to Bessette, there were no adults on the boat at the time of the incident. He said he did not know if alcohol was involved.

“This time of year the water is about 65 degrees, and very busy with boaters and water skiers,” he said.

With reports by staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks

fzuckerm@projo.com