Update: Family, Community Honor Life of Missing Jacksonville Firefighter
Read the article at https://www.news4jax.com/news/celebration-of-life-this-morning-for-missing-firefighter
Update: “That was a very devastating time”: Wife of missing Jacksonville firefighter opens up about husband and search to find him. See the video.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Jacksonville, Florida, along with partner agencies, are searching for two overdue boaters off the East Coast of Florida after not returning from a fishing trip on Friday, 16 AUGUST 2019 near Port Canaveral, FL.
The boaters, Jacksonville Firefighter Brian McCluney and Fairfax, VA Firefighter Justin Walker, were last seen departing the 300 Christopher Columbus Boat Ramp at Cape Canaveral Friday, 16 August 2019 in a 24-foot Robalo center console heading toward the “8A Reef” located at position 28 28.990 N / 080 20.170 W or approximately 9.6 NM East of Cape Canaveral.
Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral watchstanders were notified by a family member of the boaters not returning as expected Friday evening.
The name of the boat is “CAST RATED” and is equipped with one outboard engine. It is unknown if the vessel has an EPIRB on board. The USCG is coordinating with cellular telephone companies for locations of last tower pings.
According to a drift analysis by the USCG, if caught in the Gulf Stream Northerly current, the vessel could be in the area North of Jacksonville, FL by Sunday, 18 August 2019.
SSCA HF Radio Service KPK began broadcasting a BOLO (Be On Lookout) for this missing boat on the SSCA HF Radio Service Net (0815 hrs. on frequency 8104), on the Cruiseheimers Net (0830 hrs. on frequency 8152), and the afternoon Doo Dah Net at 1700 hrs. on frequency 8152).
Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Command Center watchstanders launched assets including a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Station Canaveral, an HC-130 Hercules search plane from Air Station Clearwater and the Coast Guard Cutter Ridley, an 87-foot Patrol Boat to conduct searches.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Command Center at 904-714-7558 or Glenn Tuttle, Net Manager of the International Boat Watch Network, at KPK@Boatwatchnet.org
The following is an actual photograph of the vessel taken at the boat ramp.
