Vigil held for missing teenager

NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) - Friends and relatives of a missing teenager are holding out hope for his safe return.

Hours after the U.S. Coast Guard called off the search for 17-year-old Theodore "Teddy" Oliviera, a candlelight vigil was held near Newport Harbor, where the teenager was last seen late Monday night.

There were moments of silence, and moments grief-stricken friends, like Jasmine Valdes, could not hold back their emotions.

"It's just hard," Jasmine Valdes said through tears, "He needs to come home. I miss him so much."

Other friends, like Gage Rearick are hoping for a miracle.

"He's alive," Rearick said, "He's too smart to not be alive."

Even though the official search was called off, friends like Jose Valdes vow not to give up until Oliviera is found.

"We're not just leaving him out there," Jose Valdes said, "We're coming  and we're bringing him home either way. If he comes home dead, we're coming home. Every one of us will be at his funeral. We're going to pay our respects, and do what we have to do to bring him home."

Crews searched more than 620 square miles for Oliviera, after he was reported missing Tuesday evening.

There are no plans to resume the search, unless investigators receive new information about his whereabouts.