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The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is still actively searching for the other two missing boaters. The Coast Guard called off its search Saturday night.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One of three people, including two children, who went missing after a boat capsized in the St. Johns River Friday has been located, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed Sunday night.
It is unclear if the individual who was located is a child or an adult, and if they are alive.
JSO is still actively searching for the other two missing boaters.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is leading the investigation, and additional information has not been released.
What Happened?
Eight people were on board before the boat capsized on Friday, according to police. Four people were found alive, one person was found dead and three were considered missing.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said crews responded to a call of a capsized boat near the Dames Point Bridge in Jacksonville around 8 p.m. Friday with multiple people in the water.
JFRD responded with four rescue boats to the scene, finding four people still onboard the overturned 18-foot boat and rescuing them from the water.
JFRD said crews were told four other people were still missing, including two children, and a search began.
First responders with JFRD, the U.S. Coast Guard, JSO, FW and others were on scene searching, finding one person dead near the boat.
The Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville was notified around 7 p.m. and alerted other agencies, including JFRD, to respond. The Coast Guard said Saturday crews are searching for an adult and two minors.
The Coast Guard and other agencies continued searching overnight, while JFRD crews resumed the search Saturday morning, officials said.
JSO confirmed Sunday night that one of the missing boaters was located, and two are still missing.
Family and friends of the missing boaters spent all day at a pavilion at Lions Club Boat Ramp, directing volunteers who came to look for any clues about the missing boaters.
A group of boaters told a First Coast News crew they heard about the missing boaters on the news and felt compelled to help since they had a boat and the day free to look.
They spent five hours in the area of Goat Island but didn’t find any leads.
Another boater said he wasn’t out specifically to help with the search, but he did notice a lot of law enforcement boats going back and forth in a grid pattern.
The family of the missing boaters didn’t want to go on camera, but said they were asking anyone with a way to get out on the water to come help.
One of the relatives even said they took a jet ski out to look.
Although the Coast Guard suspended their search, JSO, CCSO, JFRD and FWC are still at it with two of the boaters still lost.
The Coast Guard said no one aboard the vessel was reportedly wearing lifejackets.
