Officials confirm a 19-year-old Long Beach man drowned Wednesday while swimming with his friends in choppy water off Rancho Palos Verdes.

Firefighters were called at 2:57 p.m. and arrived within minutes to the 5600 block of Palos Verdes Drive, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.

Officials initially reported that two swimmers were in distress while swimming in Abalone Cove but it’s since been learned that one of them, Toogee Zepeda, jumped in to save his friend. Zepeda was unable to carry his friend so he left him on a rock and went to get help. He came back to find his friend was gone.

Five hours later, crews were unable recover the friend’s body and said they’d resume their search Thursday morning. The LACFD said they consider this case a fatality.

CBS LA: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/07/09/1-dead-after-crews-wage-water-rescue-in-rancho-palos-verdes/