Searchers look for missing boaters from Florida to North Carolina

Published 2:58 pm Thursday, August 22, 2019

Two firefighters from Florida and Virginia have gone missing on a fishing trip off Port Canaveral, prompting a wide search from Florida to North Carolina.

The Coast Guard, including Air Station Elizabeth City crewmembers, and other agencies are looking for Brian McCluney and Justin Walker, who were boating toward a fishing spot known as 8A reef. McCluney works for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and Justin Walker is a master technician for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

missing

Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

U.S. Coast Guard Southeast announced Thursday afternoon that while the Coast Guard will continue to have a presence in the area, active searches will conclude at sunset. The search has covered 90,306 square miles with an estimated 249 hours of active searches as of late Wednesday.

missing

Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

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Pilots and boat captains along the coast who are able to look for any signs of McCluney and Walker have been asked to contact the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department at 904-813-5315. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Command Center at 904-714-7558.

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