NEWS

Coast Guard searching for Jacksonville, Virginia firefighters overdue from fishing trip

Teresa Stepzinski
tstepzinski@jacksonville.com

The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and other agencies were searching Saturday for a Jacksonville firefighter and another from Virginia who were overdue from a fishing trip near Port Canaveral.

Brian McCluney, a Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department firefighter/paramedic, and Justin Walker, a Fairfax County, Va., firefighter/paramedic, were supposed to return to shore Friday night, according to the Coast Guard.

The men were last seen leaving the 300 Christopher Columbus boat ramp in Cape Canaveral in a 24-foot center console boat en route toward 8A reef, the Coast Guard said.

McCluney's wife currently is in the Port Canaveral area as searchers look for the men, a Jacksonville Association of Firefighters spokesman told First Coast News, the Times-Union news partner.

A family member had notified the Coast Guard in Port Canaveral that the men were overdue when they didn't return as expected.

The Coast Guard in Jacksonville launched search crews including a 45-foot Response Boat–Medium from Station Canaveral, an HC-130 Hercules search plane from Air Station Clearwater and the Coast Guard Cutter Ridley, an 87-foot Patrol Boat to conduct searches.

The Navy and Brevard County Sheriff's Office also are looking for the men.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Command Center at (904) 714-7558.

Teresa Stepzinski: (904) 359-4075