BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — The 15-year-old teenager who drowned at Gulfstream Park Beach on Sunday was identified as Prestyn Smith of Lake Worth.

For the first time, WPTV is hearing from first responders who were in the water trying to find Smith.

It was a multi-agency effort, with helicopters, jet skis and divers in the water searching for the missing teenager.

“One of the things that I personally take comfort in whenever we’re on one of these high-stress calls is knowing that we did absolutely everything we could, that’s what makes things a little bit easier,” said Boynton Beach Fire Rescue. Captain Steven Permenter on the phone.

He said when he got to the scene, he didn’t see Smith, but went into the water to save the mother who was also fighting the currents trying to find her son.

“She wanted to help her baby and had to explain to her that we have to try and get her as quickly as possible so we can make sure we can get her to safety and we’re doing everything we can to try and get her child. Permenter said.

He said he was an experienced swimmer and it took four other people to fight through the waves and currents and help retrieve her.

“Have you ever been concerned for your own safety?” asked WPTV’s Joel Lopez.

“It was tough for sure,” Permenter said. “I wanted to make sure he got in as quickly as possible.”

Permenter said he took in a lot of water during the rescue, which left him short of breath and vomiting, and he had to go to the hospital.

He is now recovering from the incident.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the calls came in just after 7:27 a.m.

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“It’s very sad,” said Palm Beach County Ocean Lifeguard Tracy Shelley.

She said the day was eventually labeled a red flag day, but lifeguards check in at 7:30 a.m. to train and do their morning training and the family was in the water before they were set up .

“We didn’t have the flag up in the morning because we weren’t open,” Shelley said.

She said she and two lifeguards who were at Gulfstream Park Beach responded immediately and rushed to help.

“I got into my running clothes, swimming,” Shelley said. “You couldn’t see; there was visibility of four feet or less.”

She urges beachgoers not to swim in the water until a lifeguard is present.

“Even this morning, I swam in the rip current to familiarize myself with how the water moves, and even when it was much smaller, it was almost impossible for me, a professional, to swim against that river” , Shelley said. “So someone who’s an average person who’s not trained or maybe doesn’t have a high level of swimming ability, it’s kind of impossible for them.”

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Gulfstream Park Beach flew a yellow flag Monday, with a crowded beach.

“We’re a little shocked,” said Angeleka Schmidt, who is vacationing in Germany’s Gulfstream.

She said she was at the beach when the search began and is praying for the family who lost their loved ones.

“Yesterday everyone was looking out to sea for the boy,” Schmidt said. “I saw the body come out, it was so sad.”