The search for two teens missing in the Farmington River has been suspended on Saturday after resuming earlier in the morning, according to the state Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection.
DEEP said the search was suspended due to dangerous conditions on the water. This marks the second time the search was suspended.
The search was also suspended Friday afternoon due to conditions in the river, state environmental police said.
They have been searching for 17-year-old Anthony Nagore and 15-year-old Lucas Brewer since they were reported missing Thursday.
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Officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the teens were expected home at 5 p.m. Thursday and family alerted authorities when they did not return.
On Friday afternoon, police said they were holding out hope, but conceded that the search was now being considered a recovery mission.
The search was being conducted on the Farmington River in Avon near the Canton line.
Officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the two teens are friends.
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Keith Williams, of DEEP EnCon police, said this has become a search and recovery mission, unfortunately.
He said there is nothing to indicate that the teens had personal flotation devices with them when they went out on the water and DEEP urges anyone who goes out on a river to wear a lifejacket.
On Friday morning, officials said a resident saw the teens heading to the river around 1 p.m. Thursday and warned them of the dangers of the water.
DEEP officials warned that water levels are very high on the river after a lot of rain and the currents are strong.
To help with the search, crews contacted the Army Corps of Engineers to drop water levels of the Colebrook Reservoir and that process began at 8 a.m., but they can only drop it 50 percent because of the water still pouring in after heavy rain recently. That is hampering the search efforts.
The water is also cold, according to DEEP.
The search started around 9 p.m. Thursday and the vehicle the teens were in was found on School Street in Avon, near the Farmington River.
DEEP said belongings, including their cell phones, sneakers and clothing, were found on the banks of the river on DEEP property near an old pump house.
The state police dive team was called to assist Friday morning. New Milford is providing helicopter support and state and local police and fire crews are helping with the search.
EnCon’s K-9 unit is searching and DEEP has also requested State Police helicopter support and drone support from Farmington.
Avon Fire and Police and Plainville Police are also assisting in the search.
Nagore has blonde hair and blue eyes. He is about 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 150 pounds, police said.
Brewer has brown hair and is about 5-feet 7-inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.
Steve LePage, superintendent of Schools in Plainville, sent a message to the school community Friday saying one of the teens is from Plainville and attends Plainville High School. The other is not from Plainville, but was visiting family in town, he said.
LePage said Cornerstone Counseling Center is available to support all staff, students and families and can be reached at 860-863-1001.
He asked parents to monitor their children and family members and call if anyone needs support.
"Please keep these two students and their families in your thoughts and prayers," he wrote.
Rails to Trails is closed between Routes 4 and 179 because of the search, according to the Burlington Fire Department.
Anyone with information about the missing teens should call Plainville Police Department at 860-747-1616.
Officials are asking that the general public not respond to help with the search because they do not want people to get injured.
