About a dozen boats with about several volunteers on each left the Charleston Harbor Marina in South Carolina both Wednesday and Thursday mornings to search for missing firefighters Brian McCluney and Justin Walker.
Chad Walton was in charge of organizing the group of volunteers out of Charleston. He said the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters called Monday asking if he could coordinate volunteers to help search. He put out a call on Facebook and said the response was overwhelming.
“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing," he said. "My inbox on Facebook and my email hasn’t stopped going off. I’ve had to put it on silent a bunch of times. Luckily, I have a wife that understands."
“We’re a really big boating community here in Charleston just like they are in Jacksonville," he added. "When there is a boater or fisherman in need, the boating community comes together. On top of that, we’re a big first responder community."
He said personally, when he saw McCluney has kids, the search affected him even more.
“I’m a new father," he said. "I get a little chocked up over this. The guy’s got kids. We’re just here trying to help bring him to his family."
The boats that left the marina Thursday traveled more than 100 miles offshore, some towards Myrtle Beach. The coordinated volunteer efforts ended Thursday around eight p.m. According to Walton, the Gulf Stream keeps moving further north and it’s not feasible for them to keep searching in this area.
Warren Adair is a firefighter just outside Charleston. He hopped on a boat Thursday morning with men he had never met to help in the search. They were all organized through the volunteer group Walton headed up.
Adair said there’s a deeper meaning to the search because they’re looking for a fellow firefighter.
“Right now, it’s about family and a brotherhood," he said. "It’s a family we’re a brotherhood, so let’s get these guys home to their family."
“I did 21 years in the Air Force," said Dennis Edwards, who was on the boat with Adair. "I feel a commitment to serve and I know these guys do the same for us each and every day with firefighting and regardless of who was out there, I’d still be out there searching but feel more dedicated that these guys give their lives up for us as well."
Adair said despite the U.S. Coast Guard calling off the search at sundown Thursday, he will keep looking and thinks people in Charleston will too.
“The community here in Charleston, everybody is good at heart they don’t like to see people missing and families not being together, so people don’t quit until the job is done,” Adair said.
And he has a message for the Jacksonville and Fairfax firefighters: “We’re thinking about you. We’re looking hard up here. We’re glad to help and hopefully we can bring your brothers home,” Adair said.