The search for two missing firefighters 鈥� one from Fairfax County, Virginia 鈥� in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida is in its fifth day, and the U.S. Coast Guard said it was “optimistic, but guardedly so” about the efforts to find them.
Justin Walker, a master technician for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, was last seen Friday heading out on a fishing trip with his friend Brian McCluney, a Jacksonville, Florida, firefighter. They left Friday morning from Port Canaveral on McCluney鈥檚 24-foot center console boat. The Coast Guard was called late Friday night when they didn鈥檛 return.
鈥淲e鈥檙e continuing to search, and we鈥檙e searching heavily,鈥� said Capt. Mark Vlaun, of the Coast Guard鈥檚 Jacksonville Sector, at a news conference Tuesday.
He said the search area covered 50,000 square miles, and that searchers were focusing on the area about 50 miles east of St. Augustine, around where a tackle bag was found that McCluney鈥檚 family confirmed was his.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a large data point鈥� that, combined with computer modeling and re-creation of tidal drift, allows the search to focus on the area between St. Augustine, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia, rather than farther north, Vlaun said.
They know when the two left and they know the timing of a cellphone ping off Cape Canaveral at a well-known fishing area, he added.
Searchers are scouring the one photo they have of the boat, identifying what the two left with on Friday. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had any conversations with anybody who saw them that day.鈥�
Vlaun said that for the Coast Guard and other searchers, the search is 鈥渁bsolutely, 100% a rescue operation.鈥� That said, each day, they look at what they found the day before and decide whether to continue.
鈥淲hat will we find today? What will tomorrow look like?鈥�
‘We remain optimistic’
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue said in a statement Monday afternoon that the department is in contact with Walker鈥檚 family and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue.
鈥淲e remain optimistic that they will be found,鈥� the department said. 鈥淲e are working closely with authorities in Florida to provide assistance and coordinate any resource needs. Please keep these firefighters, their families and friends in your thoughts and prayers.鈥�
Fairfax County Professional Firefighters & Paramedics President Ron Kuley said that his organization is cautiously optimistic. 鈥淚t gets a little emotional thinking about this. It鈥檚 a very difficult situation, but we鈥檙e hoping for a positive outcome,鈥� he said.
Kuley thanked all the people who are searching for the men, saying they have been doing an 鈥渆xtraordinary鈥� job.
鈥淥ur brothers out there are alive and they鈥檙e going to be found,鈥� Kuley said. 鈥淲e just need a lot of positive energy and prayers.鈥�
草莓传媒’s Nick Iannelli, Teta Alim and Abigail Constantino contributed to this report.
