BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. () — On the sixth day of their search, Bryan County first responders are still looking for any trace of the man who fell Monday while painting the underside of a Highway 17 bridge over the Ogeechee River.

Officials are using drones, boat teams and sonar equipment in their recovery efforts.

“We’re very hopeful that we can find this gentleman and bring him home to his family but there is that possibility that we may not ever,” said Bryan County sheriff Mark Crowe. “It’s just one of those things unfortunately.”

Crowe says they’ve been pulling patrol – investigators and other special units off their usual posts for the search.

“We can afford to pull them off what they’re doing and bring them out here,” said Crowe. “It’s just the amount of time that someone stays down under the water – we know what happens. It’s just going to be harder and harder as each day passes.”

They set out on the water at the break of dawn. Throughout the day, others from the community came out to help.

“It could be you,” said David Hyunh, volunteering for his organization Red Squadron 912. “It could be someone you love in the water also doing it actually makes you feel good as a person.”

Hyunh says he’s been following the story this week and decided today he would volunteer his boat and sonar equipment to the search.

“Being that this water is so murky right now, by sight it’s going to be hard to find him,” said Hyunh. “If it was my family… I would love closure and just to bring him home.”

Sheriff Crowe says they’re focusing their search to the side of the river closest to where the painter fell.

“We’re probably gonna work through the weekend see what happens,” said Crowe. “It’s just time consuming, and it’s a daunting task when you’re looking at what you’re going to find – in the long run – when you do find him.”

Bryan County officials say they’re sending a dive team in the evening to check out a spot they think needs a closer look.

Sheriff Crowe says he’s working out a plan to bring cadaver K-9’s into the search next week.