The last message from Rijavec came in the form of a mayday call on Tuesday, as the host of the popular YouTube channel Fish & Sips was fishing 8 miles off the coast of Baja California.
The proximity to the United States drew in search efforts from both countries, as the Mexican Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard both searched for the missing angler.
While efforts to find Rijavec have thus far failed, his turquoise boat was found floating upside down.
“What could have happened? Oh my god, it’s endless,” said Phil Friedman, a friend of Rijavec’s aiding in the search.
“It could be foul play. You never know, it’s something that happens at sea sometimes. It could be a whale, it could be a shark.”
Still, Friedman insists he hasn’t abandoned hope.
“The hope is that Mikey was able to get off, swim to shore, maybe he’s exhausted, unconscious, maybe he’s on shore, that is our hope.
“Stranger things have happened; there have been bigger miracles than this.”
On Friday, the Coast Guard announced the end of its search, leaving the Mexican Navy to continue recovery efforts.
Rijavec’s brother, Gregory, has begun a GoFundMe campaign to continue the search.
“In most cases, it’s usually 72 hours for search and rescue,” Friedman said. “I guarantee it will be extended by all those people who love Mikey so much.”
Breitbart News
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