Friends and family have gathered on the boardwalk, saying they will stay until the search is called off.
Lifeguards bobbed in the rough waters in an all-out search for the teen. They formed a human chain as part of their search.
The teen's friend, a 22-year-old man, was pulled from the water earlier. He was pronounced dead at Long Beach Hospital.
"There was a big rip tide today," beachgoer Lucille Gianat said.
Police say three boys were hanging out in the water near Riverside Boulevard 15 minutes after the beach closed at 6 p.m.
"The problem is, people come down to the beach after 6 when there are no lifeguards," beachgoer Evelyn Farber said. "It's dangerous. We lost two kids last summer because of that."
Family members say the teen is a recent high school graduate. They say he was in the water with his cousin, who is from out of town.
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STORY BY: Eyewitness News reporter Carolina Leid
WEB PRODUCED BY: Bill King