A KINDLY business owner kept his cafe open late into the evening to serve refreshments to hard-working rescue teams seeking a 15-year-old boy lost at sea.

Rob Kendall, has run Atlanta Cafe, next to West Beach, Clacton, for seven years.

He did all he could to make sure the dozens of emergency service workers were kept hydrated while they searched for missing Ben Quartermaine, from Clacton.

The cafe remained open until around 11pm on Thursday, with cold water, teas and coffees handed out to officers, paramedics and lifeboat crews.

He was first alerted to the trouble at around 6.20pm.

"I was first told there was one boy in there, one of my staff happened to be in the water at the same time," he said.

"We saw the emergency services go in and get one out, but they couldn't find the second one.

"The emergency services were everywhere.

"The RNLI, beach patrol, the coast guard, everybody. An air ambulance turned up.

"There must have been about 50 of them out there at one stage.

"They were working so hard."

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

Rob Kendall - pictured previously at his cafe

The search for missing Ben continued well into the night, with residents joining the hunt with torches.

One teenager was rescued from the water by Clacton Pier staff and pulled aboard an RNLI lifeboat.

"I stayed open because I wanted to make sure they had cold water, or teas and coffees," said Mr Kendall.

"After it hit social media lots of people turned up, people were out with torches looking everywhere.

"I have grandchildren who are the same age.

"When they got the first lad out he was walking wounded, he was injured.

"Security on the pier is tight."