The U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies will suspend the search for two firefighters who went missing off the coast of Florida last week.
Unless there are new developments, authorities plan to suspend efforts to find Jacksonville firefighter Brian McCluney and Fairfax County firefighter Justin Walker by sunset Thursday, WTVT-TV reports. The two men had gone boating in a 24-foot watercraft off Port Canaveral on Friday.
"At this point without additional information, we have simply reached a point where our computer modeling and our ability to search in a given location are no longer allowing us to search with any reasonable degree or probability of success," a Coast Guard official told reporters at a press conference Thursday.
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The Coast Guard, along with the U.S. Navy, local authorities and volunteers, have searched more than 105,000 square miles for the firefighters. Searches also have extended to North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
"It is the hardest decision, talking about search suspensions, any Coast Guard leader makes," Coast Guard Capt. Mark Vlaun told the Florida Times-Union. "It's unquestionable."
Vlaun, interim Jacksonville Fire Chief Keith Powers and search team members have talked with the families of the missing firefighters throughout the process, including the decision to suspend active efforts. Even though the search will be suspended, the Coast Guard will act on any new information it receives concerning the men's whereabouts, Vlaun said.
"It is unimaginable, and obviously (the families) are heartbroken," Powers told the Times-Union. "I can't say I feel any different right now."
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.
