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‘One of the toughest things you could ever do’ No resolution after 12-year-old’s disappearance at Ocean View

Posted at 4:11 PM, Jun 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-19 18:29:08-04

NORFOLK, Va. -  A tragic weekend in Ocean View comes to a sad end.

First responders tried to find a missing 12-year-old in the Bay but suspended the search without finding him. Monday night, a body was recovered near the Ocean View Pier. The next day, Norfolk Police positively identified the body as that of 12-year-old Davieon Craig Askew.

"We wish we could’ve been able to bring him home and we could not," said Captain Kevin Carroll from the Coast Guard. "We approach this not us agencies but his parents as well try to look at this as if one of our family members were out there."

On Saturday around 7 p.m., Askew went missing in the waters near the Ocean View Pier in Norfolk. His family was on vacation from North Carolina. First responders immediately raced to the scene to try and rescue the boy, bringing a helicopter, boats and divers.

Davieon Craig Askew

“Davieon Craig Askew is a very intelligent little boy very energetic love his family and his friends if u ever saw his he always had that smile...He is well known in his town as a very respected and well-mannered little boy....he love being outside with his friends...HIS FAMILY JUST WANTS HIM HOME Davieon we love u and we know you’re coming back to us we won’t stop until u are safe back with your family," said a family friend.

After more than 18 hours of searching, authorities suspended the search just after 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

"When we do suspend the search - again, very tragic case - we do it deliberately as a unified command. We all speak together and say, 'Is there anything else that we can do to improve this search?'" Carroll said.

And unfortunately in this case, the answer was no.

Carroll said rescuers searched about 160 miles - from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel all the way past Willoughby.

"Delivering the news to a parent is probably one of the toughest things that you could ever do," he said. "They teach us to say the phrase 'our thoughts and prayers,' and it doesn’t it doesn’t bring up how badly we feel and help you wish this could’ve went better."

"Unfortunately we were unable to save him, but at least we can probably try to locate him to be able to bring him home and give his family that closure that they desperately want," he said Monday.

The family's friend said the family is now back in North Carolina.

On Tuesday, some of the people who were with Davieon on Saturday came back to the beach to pay their respects. "Even though you don't know somebody, your heart and your emotions can be connected to the situation," said Dayja Merritt.

A GoFundMe for the missing boy has been set up. Click here to see the fundraising page.