The father of Tyler Barlow, one of three fishermen that went missing off the coast of Brunswick, posted on Facebook Tuesday evening that they were ending their private search efforts.
"Although we have found numerous boat wrecks and debris, none have been linked to the Carol Ann," said Chris Barlow in the Facebook post. "It is with great sadness that we are informing everyone that the helicopter that landed at 4:38 P.M. today will be our last flight unless we receive new information. We are suspending our active search effort as we have exhausted every lead we currently have."
Caleb Wilkinson, Dalton Conway and Tyler Barlow were reported missing on Oct. 21 after the owner of the boat grew concerned that they had not returned on Oct. 19. The fishing trip began on Oct. 14.
On Oct. 26, 12 days after their trip began, the Coast Guard called off its search after scouring more than 94,000 square miles of ocean.
The family began their own private search efforts soon after the Coast Guard’s search ended. Through the support of GoFundMe donations, where they raised over $90,600, they had been able to find and fund pilots and photographers to continue searching. The Cajun Navy, a nonprofit organization of volunteers conducting search and rescue efforts, also assisted in the search by reaching out to their network of volunteers.
Down East Emergency Medicine Institute also volunteered their services to review all the pictures that were taken on the plane and decipher them to see if they saw anything that might relevant information.
There was a small breakthrough after weeks of searching for them last Monday, when the Facebook group Bring Our Boys Home, dedicated to spreading awareness and fundraising for the boys, posted that a possible life raft had been spotted, as well as a fish box and debris from the boat. The Coast Guard at the time said they had not confirmed if the item that had been spotted was a life raft. Other than that, there have been no new leads.
"It has now been 45 days since the boys left the dock in Brunswick, Georgia," Barlow said. "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. We do ask everyone, as they resume their normal daily lives, to keep a lookout when they are visiting beaches or boating for anything that may help us put the remaining pieces of this horrific puzzle together."
Barlow thanked everyone who volunteered their time, money, those who prayed and supplied them with planes and helicopters.
The families have had a motto of "Won't Stop" since they began their private search efforts. Barlow said in the coming months they will continue their motto by pushing for the legislative changes that need to be made to decrease the chances of this happening to anyone in the future.
"The last time I saw Tyler I never imagined that it could possibly be the last time I would see him, instead of handing him my personal locator beacon and telling him to be safe I would have begged him not to go," Barlow said. "Leading the search for Tyler, Dalton and Caleb has been the hardest thing we have ever done in our lives and something no parent should ever have to do."
Stevie Conway, who is the girlfriend to Caleb Wilkinson and the sister of Dalton Conway, also posted to her Facebook, a more hopeful message. She announced that she was four months pregnant at the end of October.
"I’m so blessed and thankful to be carrying our sweet baby as an extension of you," Conway wrote. "I hope with every bone in my body that you’ll be home soon to be the best dad and partner."
To Dalton, she wrote that she was praying every day that he would come home soon to be an uncle to the new baby.
"I have complete faith that you will keep these boys safe and bring them home to us soon. You’re a true pirate at heart buddy," Conway said.
Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for Chatham County municipalities for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach her at dambus@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Family of missing Brunswick fishermen ends private search efforts
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