PALM COAST, Fla. — Divers have found the body of a young jet skier who went missing on the water in Flagler County, investigators said Thursday.

Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission searched all night for Ritchy Volmar, 18, of Palm Coast, who went missing in Flagler County Wednesday afternoon.

A search was initiated at about 2:30 p.m. near Bing's Landing on the Matanzas River after an 18-year-old man who had gone out on the water on his personal watercraft was reported missing.

Members of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office assisted in the search during the day but suspended their efforts Wednesday evening. FWC investigators, though, continued looking through the night.

“They have specialized equipment as well as some of our boats for looking in the water, and we’re also gonna have air assets here looking on land, and we won’t stop until we find him,” FWC Capt. Byron Smith said Wednesday.

Dive teams searched the water Wednesday night and then returned on Thursday morning to continue. At around 9 a.m., Spectrum News 13 saw that an air search was underway, including the use of a drone. 

The captain explained to Spectrum News 13 that the search consisted of the Matanzas River only, but boats from other agencies including out of St. Augustine, were assisting. Around 35 people searched for the missing jet skier, Smith said.

Finding out Volmar didn't survive was news Dyson Richardson never wanted to hear.

“It is really hurting me that he is gone, I can’t believe it,” he said.

At the time of the incident, Richardson says the two were trying out their new jet ski. Richardson says he was driving with Volmar behind him.

“We hit a big wave and it smacked the front of the jet ski and we flew forward off of it, and by the time I came above water and he came above water, he was screaming for help,”  said Richardson.

Richardson said while he was wearing a life jacket, Volmar was not.

“I couldn’t really get to the jet ski in time to save him, by the time I got on the jet ski he was gone,” said Richardson.

His friends said they could never have imagined that a day of teenage fun could end with such a tremendous loss.

“He didn’t deserve this at all. Accidents happen and we’ve got to get through it, everybody has to understand that, and we are going to have to live and grow with this," said Michael Lee, another friend of Volmar's

The FWC says this incident is still under investigation. Friends of Volmar said they planned to hold a candlelight vigil at Bing’s Landing for him Thursday night. 

Reporter Rebecca Turco contributed to this story.