Four days after two friends set out for a day of fishing, loved ones, fellow firefighters, local, state and federal agencies and dozens of volunteers remain optimistic they can be found alive.
WJCT News partner News4Jax reported that dozens of boaters lined up at sunrise Tuesday to continue searching for the two men -- firefighters who met years ago in the fire academy -- who never returned from a fishing trip Friday from Port Canaveral.
Late Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that crews had covered 46,800 miles of ocean, with an estimated 108 hours of active searching for Brian McCluney, who works for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, and Justin Walker, another firefighter from Virginia.
Many of those were from JFRD or neighboring fire departments. JFRD Chief Keith Powers said searchers who launched from a boat ramp in Mayport covered 5,000 square miles of water Monday.
McCluney's wife, Stephanie, announced Monday afternoon that her husband's tackle bag was found 50 nautical miles off the coast of St. Augustine. The Coast Guard confirmed a volunteer who was assisting in the search discovered the bag.
"This is still absolutely a rescue mission," Powers said. "We are talking about a decorated combat veteran, a firefighter paramedic. This guy (McCluney) has the skills. He’s been raised on the water all his life."
An expanded version of this story that includes a video report on the search is at News4Jax.