Local

Recovery of pickup truck in fatal Buckman crash a collaborative effort

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Coast Guard boat from Mayport guarded the perimeter Wednesday as a dive team from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office searched the St. Johns River for the driver of a pickup truck that crashed into the water.

"We provided agency assistance to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and some of the other agencies that responded to the scene," said Petty Officer Anthony L. Soto with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Part of that assistance included bringing in a chopper from Savannah. 

"The Coast Guard uses its helicopters for any and all searches," Soto said. "They take into account several different factors including current, wind direction, weather conditions. And that's how they formulate the search area for the helicopters." 

After a couple of hours, the rescue effort became a recovery effort. Divers found the pickup first. The body of the driver was pulled out of the water about an hour later. 

Action News would like to thank the Freedom Boat Club for helping us with our coverage.