News4’s Jackie Bensen talks to the mother of the teenager who went missing while swimming in the Potomac River.
The recovery mission for a missing 19-year-old swimmer was called off Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
Dozens of members of the area's Cameroonian community were still waiting Tuesday for word on the missing swimmer, Ngo Forchick Tekwe of Silver Spring.
Divers pulled out of the Potomac River near Great Falls, Va., around 1 p.m., following an extensive air, ground and water search Monday.
Tekwe's mother, Dorothy Fongua, told News4's Jackie Bensen that her son recently graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring.
"He was my best child, always helping me, no matter how many times I asked him," Fongua said.
Tekwe disappeared under the water Monday afternoon when he and some friends apparently went swimming near Purple Horse Beach, a mile north of the Old Anglers Inn.
It was a hot, humid day. Investigators believe Tekwe waded into the water to cool off but was overcome by the river's deceptive and treacherous current.
Authorities received a call for several people in the river just before 2 p.m. Fire crews rescued three others but could not find Tekwe.
Scott Graham of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue reminded the public via Twitter Monday that swimming in the Potomac River is illegal.
Stay with NBCWashington.com and News4 for more on this developing story.
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