Emergency crews used boats and a Coast Guard helicopter to search for the teens but were unable to find them in the 6-foot waves. Michigan City Police Chief Mike Swistek says the conditions were too dangerous for divers and that a lifeguard had to be rescued during the search.
A rip current warning had been issued for the area and red warning flags were flying.
The missing teens are identified as 14-year-old Scott Hoover and 17-year-old Lorenzo Greer, both of South Bend, Ind.
Hoover's father was able to reach the boy at one point, but couldn't hold on to his son.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
