>> Breaking news alert. ♪
Right now it’s 6 were waiting an update from Jacksonville fire and rescue on day 3 of the
search for
2 missing boaters. And when
that news conference starting
to fire chief getting ready to
do that now we’re going to
bring this to you live
a major gun speaking at a major
breakthrough today a tackle bag
found 50 miles off the coast of
Saint Augustine let’s listen to
the news 37 votes. There are
♪
out searching.
>> And we used about a 138
people those boats consisted of
volunteers and firefighters
that were out doing this.
We also has a law enforcement
agencies are assisting as well.
We also had 6 aircraft that
were out assisting in the
search.
♪
search. ♪ We covered about
5,000 square miles water today.
It’s a big big area
♪
out there. We searched
from Brunswick to Saint
Augustine and from the coast.
So 60 plus miles offshore.
♪
Around 11 o’clock
this morning. And offshore
anglerfish an bag was found
about 50 nautical miles east of
♪
Saint Augustine this bag was
found by a civilian searcher.
Who came in our area to assist.
♪
The family has confirmed that the bag belonged to do 40 firefighter on
♪
the Cali. The Clooney’s
evening.
♪
We’re going to ramp up our search an area that bag was found. It so we’re asking
anyone who has a boat.
This safely cable working about
30 to 60 miles offshore.
Most to volunteer to please be
right here tomorrow with for
boat ramp at 7 o’clock to check
in if you
♪
have binoculars if you have a
cell phone please bring up with
you.
We’re still getting a lot of
questions from people about
donations and I’ll say what I
said at lunchtime today please
go to jail party
dot com. And there’s a link to
help find them firefighters
mccluney and Walker.
♪
Again I want to thank the community for the outpouring of support for this family for
this Fire Department well help
those look for these brothers.
And police
please I beg you to
♪
keep Stephanie those children
in your in your thoughts and
prayers.
>> This is something that
doesn’t happen often oftentimes
you never find the people that
you’re looking for how do you
feel neu one of your own could
be out there.
>> It’s extremely encouraging
that we find in an area known
area to start looking into
with the Coast Guard is working
that area right now with what
flights and we’re going to
we’re moving some boats into
that area right now as we
speak. But we’re also trying
get rid of you lined up for
tomorrow morning. So we have a
of the fresh crews out here
ready to go out and start
searching again should we not
be successful during the night
tonight for any search is never
going to be happening then
tonight knowing where the
location of this tackle that
was found are you going
to be.
>> We’re searching that area
tonight as well that we are
currently moving boats into
that area to search as we
speak.
>> When will you stop tonight.
>> We may have some boats
offshore all night tonight.
We’ve got some some people have
some pretty large boats in or
they’re asking to stay out
tonight we may let him
♪
stay out and how much more the
meat.
We need as many votes as we
can get to more of that are
that that are in the range you
can run it working at 30 to 60
mile range that those that’s
going to be some pretty big
Photo. The weather. The
offshore seas are supposed to
be pretty calm tomorrow.
We still need to make sure that
we keep the people that are
searching safe.
>> This morning, you said you
were still hopeful that this is
a rescue mission and not a
recovery he still have that
feeling right
now absolutely.
>> Absolutely this is where
we’re going to find these guys
and a it’s just a matter we
finally started 0 and a little
bit today
and we’re going to find him is
this an absolute a rescue
mission and how are you all
going with this
♪
his column.
We’re doing good, you know,
he’s a range of emotions as as
you can expect.
everybody this incident command
post right now nobody is coming
in off the water. They’re
extremely optimistic that this
is going to happen very soon.
>> You have an audience here
live on television you just
mentioned sort of the cry for
help in terms of tomorrow
reiterate that again for those
that are just joining us in
terms of the timing
and location.
>> So if you have a boat is
capable of running off shore
him working in the 30 to 60
mile range. We’re asking that
anybody wants to volunteer to
to be here that the make or
boat ramp at 7 o’clock in the
morning and will have
assignments for those boats to
go offshore get out into that
area and start looking.
>> And knowing this was a
civilian this was somebody had
they not thought to volunteer
their time maybe you would know
found this clue.
What would you say to that
person that found that this
clue for you we’ve really
greatly appreciate all of the
especially the civilian
volunteers are coming in and
donate their time their boat
their fuel.
>> To help us in this search,
but it was a
fantastic that we had people
out today and were able to you
know get kind of get hold him
where we needed to be.
>> You get to deliver that news
to his wife. I did not the
Coast Guard is taking care of
that messaging what have you
guys heard about it for a
condition that scene during
the search. So I talked to some
of the guys come in today and
they said it was a it was
pretty calm today tomorrow
supposed to be 2 foot 9 seconds
which is a is a relatively calm
day as well so we’ve got real
good conditions. It’s clear
offshore you see a long way so
>> We’re a we’re blessed with
good conditions right now
thinking to think
♪
we located about 15 nautical miles east of Saint Augustine. ♪
So your searches is going to be primarily there you’re not going
♪
going ♪ to ship.
>> Searches up north as well.
>> Right now the plan is to to
inundate that area and try to
see what we can find in that
area.
>> Wershe civilians me
tomorrow, you still going to be
here since is now zeroed in
Saint Augustine.
>> We’re going to we’re going
to we’re going to be here
and run from here and run kind
of Southeast out of the out of
the Saint Johns River.
♪
>> if you’re just if you’re just tuning in now we’ve now just heard from key to key
powers any saying they’re
zeroing in the search in Saint
Augustine and
that’s because earlier a
civilian you just heard just a
regular person they came out
here to help was able to find a
tackle box belonging to fire fighter Brian macclenny and his wife posted about that earlier
today you could hear
just how more much more
optimistic. She was seen that
she said that she really has
faith that this was dropped
over the side to give a clue
that they are there and so now
we’re learning tomorrow,
they’re going to meet get me to
get here at the
mayport of Doc and they’re
going to ramp up their searches
they already have crews that
have been dispatched out to the
Saint
Augustine area just 50 miles
offshore where they say they’re
going to have crews out there
all night long we’re going
to continue to follow this but
again they’re ramping up that
search and Saint Augustine
you can feel a big uplift now
that the pad this clue and just
to hear that this was
a regular person that came out
here that did not have to
I know that means so much more
to the people that are out here
today, especially as fellow
firefighters reporting live in
mayport Kelly Wiley Channel 4
the local station
still very much a recovery
mission. Kelly thanks so much
happening right now.
>> A prayer walk for the
missing boaters underway
organized by friends of one of
the firefighters.
It’s happening a Mike or
landing that got started about
15 minutes ago, but we’re going
to go to vic micolucci you
spent the day off shore with
boat are searching for the men
Vick dozens of volunteers
helped with today’s search
effort out there.
>> Yeah we saw a lot of those
people joy giving their time
their resources their fuel and
of course their money to be out
here and bring these 2 men
back to shore safely of course
that is the goal the conditions
have been tough over the
weekend today is we’re a little
bit better. Now as the sun
starts to go down
a lot of these boats and
volunteers are coming back to
shore. But many of them say no
return tomorrow.
>> Now as a whole lot ocean out
there we just covered
just a tiny tiny speck of it
today it is an enormous task
but 150 volunteers with
36 votes.
>> Are hoping they can be the
ones to find a missing
firefighters Brian mccluney
and Justin Walker our sky 4
helicopter was flying overhead
as an army of volunteers, many
fellow first responders headed
off shore this morning.
Today they started off a little
better it was smooth not a lot
of wind.
>> It’s to got a little
choppier
out there.
>> We spent the day on marine
for with the freedom boat club
and are kept in a Burka Bell
visibility wasn’t
a problem.
>> These rain bands may hinder
that a little bit right now
it’s still
looking good. We are about 6
miles off the coast of Atlantic
Beach right now and today is
the best yet when it comes to
the
search conditions.
>> The water is fairly calm
just a little bit of chopped
and
the visibility is pretty good.
We can see several miles into
the distance out there is a
naval destroyer and then you
have some merchant Marines.
Barges and tankers that are
coming in from offshore the
hope is they possibly mites
spot this boat or some debris
and then call authorities.
>> We spotted a jfrd boat Coast
Guard vessels and
their helicopter just a small
glimpse at the massive
government response. There’s
always hope there’s always hope
for these guys.
And I want to give you some perspective here this is not the exact same type of boat,
but it is very similar.
>> It is a center console
fishing boat in fact
this one is 24 feet long just
like the boat, the 2 missing
firefighters were on. You can
see this large T top.
It lets it stand out about 8 to
9 feet above the water and that is good news because you can see it from at least a mile or
2 away so for these people that
are out there the volunteers,
the search and rescue crews.
They can scan the horizon they
can look for it he talked like
this possibly an antenna which
would give it a couple
more feet and that
is something that firefighters
and rescue crews are asking
people to keep an eye out even
if you are on shore you might
still see some debris you might
still see something so if you
don’t have a boat. If you don’t
have the resources. You can
look from the beach and the
inlets for anything out of