Kern County rescue crews were unable to find a boy reported missing in the Kern River two miles east of the mouth of the canyon after a five-hour search.

Sheriff’s spokesman Ray Pruitt says the 15-year-old was with his friends when he jumped into the river before 11 a.m. Friday.

“He went under and they were never able to regain sight of him,” he said. “He didn’t come up, so they started searching the area trying to locate him.”

Pruitt says search crews will continue to look for the teen, but are presuming he drowned.

– Anthony Pollreisz