Rescue teams have scaled down their search for a boy who has been missing since he and a friend capsized in a rowing boat early on Sunday morning see yesterday’s story .

Kyle Moore, 14, from Portland, Dorset, took a rowing boat from a boatyard with a friend of the same age. His friend was rescued, but Kyle has not been seen since. Only the boat’s oars have been found.

A coastguard spokesman said search efforts at sea had been reduced but that a land search would continue. Portland Coastguard rescue co-ordination manager Lee Fisher said volunteers, coastguards, search and rescue teams and police had covered 40-square miles of sea and land between Portland Harbour and Ringstead since 0200 GMT on Sunday, but no sign of Kyle had been found:

‘In deciding to scale down the search, we have considered survivability, sea temperatures and weather conditions. The search area has been covered many times over, regrettably without a positive outcome.’

Pupils at Royal Manor Art College, the boys’ school, were yesterday being offered counselling following the tragedy.