Boy's body removed from water in Long Beach

Medical examiner to determine whether it's missing 10-year-old from Hempstead

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Long Beach police said the body of a young boy was pulled from the water at Lincoln Boulevard beach on Sunday, nearly a week after a massive search effort began for a 10-year-old who went missing while swimming at Edwards Boulevard.

"We believe it's the boy but cannot determine [that] until the medical examiner investigates," said Lt. Mark Stark, a spokesman for the Police Department.

At about 12:30 p.m., the Nassau County Police Department's marine bureau located the body of a male youth, about 250 yards off the shore, Stark said.

The body discovered on Sunday was located five beaches from where a 10-year-old boy from Hempstead, identified by CBS News as Ramell McRae Jr., entered the water on June 19 with his 11-year-old brother, Jaquan, and became distressed while swimming near the jetty due to the strong rip current. Lifeguards were not yet on duty for the summer season.

Jaquan escaped from the water and was taken to South Nassau Communities Hospital in stable condition. Rescuers said that the search for Ramell has not stopped since last week. Stark, however, said it was too early to say whether the body located on Sunday was that of the missing 10-year-old.

"The body was transferred by the marine bureau to the Coast Guard station at Jones Beach, and from there it was taken to Nassau County Medical Examiner's office," he said. "The body will not be officially identified until the conclusion of the Medical Examiner's investigation.”

This is a developing story.