Baton Rouge Teen Missing After Being Caught in Rip Current at Orange Beach

A Baton Rouge teenager is still missing after getting swept in rough waters while on a trip to Orange Beach, Alabama this past weekend.

14-year-old Tyreke Walker was celebrating his birthday with his family when he disappeared this past Saturday. Walker's family said this was their first time in Orange Beach and they planned to stay just one day to celebrate his birthday, which was three days earlier.

Officials in Alabama say the incident happened right after flags at the beach were changed to double red to reflect the dangerous conditions.

The teen's father, Clint Walker, tried to rescue his son but nearly drowned in the attempt. He was later rushed to the emergency room due to excessive water inhalation.

“He’s like ‘I’m sorry, I can’t come back,’” said Clint Walker. “I grabbed him, and I had him, but the water was just pulling us and pulling us. Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to make it. I lost his grip. I kept getting thrown to the bottom of the water, and somehow, I made it to shore, and he didn’t. I just wish I would’ve held on longer.”

The search for the boy remains ongoing.

“Right now, our efforts are wanting to bring closure to the family as much as possible, but it’s really a waiting game at this point trying to recover the child,” said Bruce Nelson with Orange Beach Fire Rescue.

Canhtam Nguyen, the mother of Tyreke Walker, said she is appreciative of everyone who has helped their family while in Orange Beach. She said that random people have been paying for their hotel room so they could remain in Orange Beach for free while they are looking for their son.

A GoFundMe page has been set up on behalf of the Walker-Nguyen family.

On Sunday, another tragedy affected a family from the capital area as a two-year-old from Port Allen drowned in a pool at the Margaritaville Resort in Biloxi.