Local, state and federal officials, along with volunteers, continued a massive search Wednesday for two off-duty firefighters who went missing Friday during a fishing trip off Port Canaveral.
The search has reached as far north as North Carolina and boats are looking off the coasts of Charleston, S.C., Savannah, Ga., and Brunswick, Ga., according to officials.
The two men, Brian McCluney and Justin Walker, were last seen leaving a ramp near Jetty Park on Friday in a 24-foot center console reportedly headed to the 8A reef.
Coast Guard Capt. Mark Vlaun said at a press briefing that a strong jet stream headed north is working against them. A fishing tackle bag was located 50 miles off the coast of St. Augustine on Monday, but as time goes on the drift area “expands in every direction.”
“We’re in a race against time,” Vlaun said. “That is becoming even more acute as we move forward.”
Vlaun admitted that officials planned to discuss Wednesday evening whether an active Coast Guard search is still viable. As of Tuesday, they had searched nearly 70,000 square miles.
McCluney is a firefighter with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and Walker is a firefighter in Fairfax, Va.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Command Center at 904-714-7558. The Jacksonville Association of Firefighters set up a donation page for the volunteer search efforts and families of McCluney and Walker.
Staff writer Rick Tribou contributed to this report.
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