A teenager is feared drowned after a rowing boat that he and a friend had taken for a joyride in atrocious weather capsized at sea yesterday.

Dorset Coastguard launched a rescue operation involving more than 20 police officers and 30 coastguards after the boys, both aged 14, found they could not overcome heavy wind and tide to return to shore early in the morning. The two teens dialled 999 on a mobile phone after realising they were drifting out to sea in Portland Harbour, at around 2am. Officers who took the call said the boys were ‘laughing and joking’ when they rang in but the boat overturned and the line went dead.

Kyle Moore, from Portland, Dorset, is still missing, while his friend, who has not been named, was rescued by an RNLI all-weather lifeboat and is now said to be recovering at home with his family.

Superintendent Darren Curtis, of Dorset Police, said there was a possibility the other boy may have made it back to land. However, rescuers said it would have been impossible to survive for more than 30 minutes in the freezing water without specialist clothing and equipment. The missing boy was wearing just a track suit and trainers.