BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The families of the three missing Georgia fishermen announced on Tuesday they would suspend their active search after exhausting every lead they had.
The three missing men — Tyler Barlow, Caleb Wilkinson and Dalton Conway — left Brunswick, Georgia on Oct. 14 for a fishing trip and were scheduled to return on Oct. 18, but they disappeared.
Recommended Videos
After weeks of active search, the Coast Guard suspended their efforts on Oct. 26. But the families of the three missing men kept the search going with the help of private crews and volunteers.
Debris from the boat of three missing Georgia fishermen was found 16 miles off the coast of St. Augustine on Nov. 19, according to the United Cajun Navy. On Nov. 20, the United Cajun Navy posted a photo of a possible empty life raft seen in the water.
This discovery reignited the efforts to search for the missing boaters. However, Tyler’s dad, Chris, said none of the boat wrecks and debris found have been linked to the Carol Ann boat.
“All family members and I do hold onto hope that we will be presented with a miracle as we have put this in God’s hands now and pray that he returns Tyler, Caleb and Dalton home to us safely,” Chris wrote in a Facebook post.
MORE | Families, supporters light up St. Marys as search continues for 3 missing Brunswick fishermen
Chris said the last helicopter searching for the three men landed at 4:38 p.m. Tuesday, and it will be their last flight unless they receive new information.
As they suspend the search, Chris asks the community to keep a lookout while boating or visiting beaches — hoping it may help them “put the remaining pieces of this horrific puzzle together.”
Chris also said the families will be pushing for legislative changes to prevent this from happening to anyone in the future.