WELAKA, Fla. – More than 18 hours after a Putnam County Sheriff's Office deputy was knocked out of a boat and into the St. Johns River, boats and divers have found no sign of the woman, identified late Friday as Brandee Smith.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the deputy and her boyfriend were in a 14-foot skiff-style boat that struck a reflective channel marker in the river near Welaka about 4:40 a.m. Friday. Smith went overboard.
"I have no idea what they were doing out there," Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy said. "(We have) a lot of hopes that we're going to find her."
Multiple agencies had boats and divers in the water Friday, and authorities plan to continue to search as long as it is safe for crews.
Smith, 35, had worked for the Sheriff's Office since 2012. Her colleagues described her as an inspiration and said she has mentored younger officers and always lends a helping hand.
"Great lady. Great deputy. We've got deputies showing up off duty. It's very emotional," Hardy said. "It was a terrible accident."
Putnam County Capt. Joseph Wells said since the Sheriff's Office is so close-knit and Smith was due to work the midnight shift Friday night, the entire shift was relieved so they can deal with her loss.
"The boyfriend ... is with us, members of the Sheriff's Office and with members of the deputy's family," Wells said. "They were very close and we are working continuously with both of those families to meet all of their needs at this time.
"As you can imagine, they are very concerned. They have a lot of family and friends that have gathered. They are getting a lot of support from them," Wells said. "They are receiving a lot of support from Brandee’s comrades in arms at the Sheriff’s Office, but they are concerned. We are just trying to do our best to keep them comfortable."
Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Sheriff's Office, Putnam County Fire Department, and Florida Fish and Wildlife, are searching the river along Sportsman Drive. The U.S. Coast Guard is sending a boat and a helicopter to join the search and an FWC helicopter is also headed to the area.
Dive teams from the PCSO, Clay, St. Johns and Jacksonville sheriff's offices are also searching the area.
"They're working in water with near zero visibility," Wells said. "They're also dealing with water with, at the depths they're dealing with, is still quite chilly."
The boating accident investigation is being conducted by FWC, which towed away the damaged boat Friday afternoon.
In the afternoon, the search area was extended about five nautical miles to the north and south, Wells saying they were doing everything possible "to bring the deputy home."
The search continued into the night, despite near pitch black conditions.
“This weather is nothing more than an inconvenience," Wells said. "It doesn’t impact our capabilities. As long as it’s safe for the boat crews and the divers to remain on the water, they will do so.”
Resident Jim Mahan said he went onto the river at night only once.
"It was partly foggy. It was dark," Mahan said. "I never went again."
Even veteran boaters like Richard Skinner said the river keeps him on his toes.
“The river can change in a minute," Skinner said. "As soon as the wind picks up and changes direction, it doesn’t take long for it to get pretty choppy."
April Wilson, who has lived along the river for four years, was out fishing Friday and saw all the rescuers in, on and flying over the water.
"I just pray real hard that they find her," Wilson said.
Charles Pafford, who was visiting the area with his family, watched the search efforts Friday. He said he's a boater himself and knows the risks of getting on the water in the darkness of night.
"I have been out here kind of late, and it gets foggy, and it's hard to see," Pafford said. "If you don't have real good lighting, I could see where it'd be easy to hit something or run over something."
He said he hopes they find Smith soon.
"I'm sure there's a lot of folks hurting and upset. But hopefully, they'll find her before too long," Pafford said. "And hopefully she's still alive. You don't know until you know, I guess."
The search was scaled back overnight, but crews were expected to be back in full force first thing Saturday morning.
News4Jax has crews in Welaka with the searchers. This article will be updated as long the search continues, with live reports in every newscast.
The Sheriff's Office has scheduled an update briefing for 7 a.m., which will be aired live on The Morning Show.