After seven days of searching, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department officially called off the search for the two missing firemen, Brian McCluney and Justin Walker.
The search was personal to one of McCluney's best friends, Chad Remsen, a JFRD lieutenant who worked closely with McCluney over the last two years. Remsen says McCluney is like a brother to him.
“Brothers, coworkers, psychiatrists. When we were in rescue together, we were doing 10-13 calls a day they take about an hour, we spend 10-13 hours in rescue together, so we’d talk about everything," Remsen said.
Remsen said he almost went on the boat trip last Friday -- the day they went missing -- but he couldn't make it.
“And if I wouldn’t have had childcare I would be out there with him, that’s just the things we do together," he said.
He said he believes he wasn't destined to be there.
After the search officially ended on Thursday at sundown, Remsen still hopes the families of the missing firefighters can one day get closure.
"This is an unprecedented giant search, when I got the call Saturday I never anticipated this big a search going on," he said.
Remsen searched by boat for the first three days. He said though the search officially ended, he will continue to search until he can bring the family some closure.