A full-scale search for a 15-year-old competitor missing in rough seas at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on Australia's Gold Coast was suspended Wednesday as night fell.
The missing boy, understood to be Matthew Barclay, from the Maroochydore club on the Sunshine Coast, was competing in the board race when he disappeared at Kurrawa.
A police helicopter joined lifesavers in rescue boats to search for the teenager when his board was discovered after the race.
Colored dye was released into the surf where the teenager was last seen so rescuers could track currents in the area.
Barclay was wearing a fluorescent lycra singlet, compulsory for the first time this year after the death of another competitor in 2010.
Surf Life Saving Australia's chief executive, Brett Williamson, said earlier, "At this time, we're not able to provide further information on the incident. However, all championship events have been suspended until further notice. I will be making further statements as soon as I am able."
Organizers earlier moved the surf boat events to the Coomera River after a spate of injuries and mishaps.
Sydney lifesaver Saxon Bird, 19, drowned in wild seas during the 2010 Australian championships at Kurrawa, on Australia's eastern coast. Bird, a national age champion renowned as a strong swimmer, was knocked unconscious by a riderless jetski just as officials were about to call off the event.
The championships are one of the biggest sporting events in Australia, with juniors, seniors, masters and elite competitors taking part.
