Bodies of NYC teens swept away at Queens beach recovered, family says

The bodies of 2 teenagers swept into nan water astatine a Queens beach past week person been recovered, nan grieving family confirmed to The Post Sunday.

“I called nan precinct this greeting and I went down location and they showed maine pictures. I cognize for judge it’s him,” said Ushell Chandler, whose 16-year-old boy Elyjha Chandler was swept distant astatine Jacob Riis Park successful nan Rockaways connected June 21.

Elyjha’s assemblage was recovered astatine astir 9 p.m. Saturday adjacent Beach 114th Street, conscionable up nan formation from wherever he disappeared complete a week ago alongside his lifelong friend Christian Perkins, 17.

The greeting aft Elyjha’s assemblage was recovered, a assemblage believed to beryllium Christian’s was recovered adjacent nan formation astatine Beach 149th Street.

Police respond to reports of a assemblage that was recovered connected nan formation Saturday, adjacent wherever nan teens went missing. Diego Luzuriaga/FreedomNewsTV

Police person not yet officially identified nan remains, The Post confirmed, but nan grieving dada said he was definite his boy had yet been found.

“I saw nan pictures, I cognize it’s him. When I saw nan pictures, immoderate tears came to my eyes,” Chandler said.

“It’s sewage to beryllium a closed casket,” he said, adding that Elyjah’s mother, Aminatu Noah, had been despondent since learning nan news.

“She is taking it very hard.” 

The teens had been opinionated successful knee-high h2o pinch friends connected nan evening of June 21 erstwhile a monolithic activity slammed into them and dragged them retired to sea.

“One of nan boys told maine erstwhile nan h2o deed them, it was for illustration a demon coming astatine them,” Elyjah’s dada antecedently told The Post, adding that his boy couldn’t swim.

Elyjah Chandler, 16, pinch his mother Aminatu Noah. Aminatu Noah/Facebook

A bystander, who saw nan boys get struck by nan activity and struggle successful nan water, leaped into nan surf but was incapable to propulsion them to safety.

Despite being frightened of nan ocean, Elyjah — who would person been 17 connected June 28 — had skipped hoops believe to subordinate his friends astatine nan formation earlier nan calamity struck.

The Coast Guard called disconnected nan hunt days later aft sweeping astir 600 quadrate miles of unfastened ocean.

Chandler and Noah had visited nan formation almost regular since nan boys vanished to guidelines successful vigil successful nan hopes that their bodies would beryllium found.

Now that they’ve been recovered, Chandler said he feels “a spot better” knowing Elyjah’s home.

“To me, it’s a mini measurement forward. I’m not going to retrieve from this,” Chandler said.

“That was important — maine getting him back.”