ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- The search for a missing St. Augustine fisherman continued all day Monday after the man disappeared into the water near the Vilano Beach Bridge on Sunday while trying to rescue a friend.

Rescuers said two men, Sergio Lopez and Birgilio Bautista-Pena, were fishing in shallow water near Camachee Cove when Lopez was thrown into the water by the wake from a boat.

Officials said Bautista-Pena jumped into the water to help his friend but never came back up.

Lopez was rescued by good Samaritan Mike Monson, who happened to be nearby. Monson is being called a hero for the rescue of Lopez.

"The current grabbed them and yanked them out," said Mike Monson, patrols the area and rushed to help the men. "We were up by the restaurant when we heard a scream and took off running down the dock to see was going on."

He said he pulled up to Lopez and was able to pull him onto the boat.

"We thought that was it, and then everybody was yelling that there was another guy in the water," Monson said.

He brought Lopez to safety before returning to help search for Bautista-Pena.

However, after a full day of searching, there was still no sign of Bautista-Pena.

"They've patrolled both the deeper end of the Intracoastal Waterway away from the inlet and then back toward the inlet," said St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Chuck Mulligan.

Authorities continue to search for Bautista-Pena, but they said thanks to Monson, Lopez will OK.

"I didn’t do anything different than anybody else would have that's on the water," Monson said.

"It's phenomenal when anybody comes out and see somebody in peril and does what they need to do to save a life. They've certainly done that," Mulligan said.

The sheriff's office called off its search for the second night at dusk on Monday but planned to continue its efforts Tuesday morning.