Mother of teen missing on Rockaway beach still has hope

The mother of the 17-year-old boy who feared drowned off a Rockaway beach is still hoping her son will come home days after he and a friend disappeared from shore.

“Everything is at a standstill,” said Kibret Perkins, whose son Christian Perkins disappeared Friday alongside 16-year-old Elyjha Chandler. “I still have hope. I still have my hope.

Christian and Elyjha were in the water with friends off Jacob Riis Park when they were swept away by the waves.

“He doesn't know how to swim, so he wouldn't go too far,” Perkins, who noted that her son is very athletic but has never taken swimming lessons, told the Daily News Monday evening.

First responders were called to Bay 2 Beach around 6:30 p.m., after the beach was closed to swimmers for the night.

The NYPD, FDNY and Coast Guard searched the waters for the two teens as drones flew over the shore, but they could not be found.

On Saturday, a day after the boys disappeared, the Coast Guard suspended the “exhaustive” search, which covered more than 600 square miles, according to a news release.

The search extended from Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to Long Beach, North Carolina, and out to sea for approximately 20 nautical miles, the statement continued.

Christian and Elyjha have been friends since they were little and both attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Coney Island, according to Perkins.

The teenagers also played on a soccer team together. Christian's family believes they were training before heading to the beach.

Christian's devastated mother said Monday she believes the tragedy “definitely” could have been avoided if the city had taken better safety precautions at the beach.

“First, if the park is closed, patrol cars should be patrolling to make sure no one is in the water,” Perkins said. “We all know what Jacob Riis Beach is like when it comes to tidal waves, especially with those seasonal currents.

“They should have more lifeguards and patrol after closing,” the devastated mother added.

She also argued that proper signage should be installed when swimmers are not allowed to enter the water.

“I didn’t even know they put up red flags until what happened to my son,” Perkins said. “Lifeguards should announce before leaving their duty. They should say it when they close.

After learning of Christian's disappearance, his grandmother headed north from Florida, where she believes the beaches are better maintained and much safer for swimmers.

“They say when it’s time to get out of the water,” Doreen Nelson said. “We have guards to make sure no one is on the beach when it closes. They should patrol there.

Following the disappearances, Perkins contacted Elyjah's heartbroken mother and the two plan to meet.

“I don’t go to the scene,” Perkins said of the beach. “I’ve never been to the scene.”

Christian's father described his son, who just turned 17 last week, as a “good” and “happy” child.

“He always wants to be funny and try to make people smile,” said Christopher Perkins, 48. “Christian is a good kid. He just likes to go out and do things. He's very active.

The boys had not yet been found as of Monday evening.