Florida Fish & Wildlife reports Jeremiah Beck disappeared while kayaking out to the boat he lives on in the St. Johns River.
PALATKA, Fla. — Florida Fish and Wildlife crews are a full day into a search for a missing kayaker in the St. Johns River in Palatka.
Florida Fish and Wildlife says the man disappeared Wednesday night after leaving the shore near Memorial Bridge to go back to the boat he lives.
The kayaker’s father, who said his son is 43-year-old Jeremiah Beck, spent the whole day by the water, looking for any clues.
And a friend of Beck’s, who asked not to be named, shared what it’s like to have to watch this search unfold.
“See if I see anything,” said Beck’s friend. “Any sign of him, anything.”
Beck’s friend was at Boathouse Riverfront Park at the crack of dawn to try to find the kayaker, who disappeared Wednesday afternoon.
His friend was optimistic when he saw the amount of crews in the water as soon as Beck’s disappearance was called in.
“I was hoping for them to catch him live,” said Beck’s friend.
But as the hours rolled on, his hope has started to waiver.
FWC reports Beck was walking with some friends when he decided to take his kayak back to his boat in the St. Johns River.
“At some stage after parting from his companions, he vanished,” stated FWC spokesperson Chad Weber. “They attempted to search for him but eventually contacted the sheriff’s office.”
FWC found the kayak itself and some of Beck’s belongings on the shore.
More than 12 hours into the search, FWC still viewed it as a search and rescue mission with drones, side-scan sonar and a dive team deployed.
“We’re maintaining this as a search and rescue operation until determined otherwise, utilizing every resource at our disposal. The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter last night, and we have drones, sonar-equipped boats, and our dive team ready,” mentioned Weber.
“Naturally, starting with the boat is logical,” Weber remarked. “We’ll gradually expand our search from there, checking for any irregularities in the water. We’re also examining the banks to see if he possibly made it to shore.”
Some of Beck’s family spent most of the day by the water, watching the search.
Beck’s father told First Coast News he planned to spend the day there initially, fishing with his son.
“I can’t begin to know what they’re going through,” Weber said.
Weber says FWC will scale back its search to just a boat or two at night, then come back in full force with the daylight Friday.
“They’re going through a lot right now. They have a loved one who is missing, and we’re the people who are looking for him. We’re going to do the best job we can to find resolution for the family,” said Weber.
