Divers from the FDNY and NYPD rescued a teen off Rockaway Beach on May 25. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Katie Honan

ARVERNE — A teenager who cut school to go to the beach died after drowning at Rockaway Beach Wednesday afternoon, according to officials and sources.

Divers from the FDNY and NYPD pulled the 18-year-old swimmer, who was in distress, out the water after he had been missing for about an hour, officials and witnesses said.

The FDNY got a 911 call of a swimmer in trouble near Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Beach 67th Street shortly after 2:30 p.m., fire officials said, and pulled him out of the water shortly after 3:30 p.m.

Responders performed CPR on the teen after pulling him out of the water and he was taken to St. John Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway where he was pronounced dead, fire officials and sources said.

Rescuers pulled the body of a man out of the ocean at Beach 67th Street, performing CPR. pic.twitter.com/067eAdKm77 — katie honan (@katie_honan) May 25, 2016

One the teen's friends said they had traveled from Elmhurst and been at the beach for about two hours.

"At the beginning he said that he did know how to swim," said Matthew Hernandez, 17. "He was swimming all right then he just started drifting."

Witnesses said the teen was drinking alcohol with the group of friends on a rock jetty before going in the water.

"Their friend ran up to me and another guy and was telling me his friend was in the water and he was by the rocks and all of a sudden he just disappeared," said Arverne resident Colleen Zou, 25. "He was hesitant to call the cops."

Responders were searching around the jetty when they spotted a man's arm in the waves.

Divers found the young man face down in the water about 50 yards from the shore near the end of the rocks, sources said.

They then pulled him out of the water onto a long board and started to give him chest compressions in an effort to resuscitate him.

City beaches don't officially open until Saturday, for Memorial Day weekend and there were no lifeguards on duty.

The teen went to Newtown High School in Elmhurst and took the bus down to Rockaway, sources said.

Friend Nawang Tamang, 17, was with him at the beach and said he was a "good guy" who wanted to join the Navy.

Tamang was sitting on the beach when another friend ran to tell him their friend had gotten pulled out.

"I was trying to help him, you know, as my brother. We've been chilling for a long time, so I can't just let him die," Tamang said. "I just went there to help him but I couldn't, it's too far from there."

Department of Education Chancellor Carmen Fariña said they would provide "crisis resources" and support for students.

“My heartfelt condolences are with the student’s family and the entire school community during this very difficult time," the chancellor said. "This is a tragic loss and I am deeply saddened."

The NYPD carried out a dragnet earlier in the day to stop kids who decided to skip school for the beach.