NEW ORLEANS — The search for 44-year-old Billy Coile of Mandeville continued on Tuesday.
According to his brother-in-law, Richard Lyons, Coile is a father of two, husband and avid fisherman.
“If Billy wasn’t at home with his family or at work, he was on the water," Lyons said.
He borrowed a friend's boat to go fly fishing on Saturday, and the boat was found on Sunday morning near mile marker 23 under the Causeway bridge. His truck was located nearby at the Mandeville harbor.
The Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries is leading the search with the assistance of the St. Tammany Sheriff's Office. The Coast Guard suspended its search for Coile on Sunday.
“There was such an app on his phone, and the last time that it pinged, or gave his location, was around 6:30 pm on the night that he went fishing," Lt. Joel Cromp said. "So, that’s kind of what we’re working off of there. In between where that ping was and the location where his boat was found.”
The Coast Guard suspended its search for Coile on Sunday, but civilians showed up to help Monday and Tuesday.
“We just want to thank you guys for everything you’re doing and it’s working," Lyons said, "And when I mean working, means, the search is continuing, it’s growing. We’re getting more and more people. We’re getting more and more boats. We’re getting more and more information and it’s giving the family hope.”
The family is using Go Fund Me donations to hire planes, airboats, and gas-up boats. Folks showed up to hike the shoreline and brought their own boats to search on Tuesday.
President of SELA Underwater Search and Recover, Mark Michaud, came out Tuesday as well.
“We’re going to go run the area to see if K9 Mercy can alert to something or tell us, ‘Hey I got nothing,'" Michaud said.
“It’s going to eliminate a lot of time and a lot of resources that need to be used. So, that’s what she’s here for is to detect the odor of human remains," Found of Mercy Search and Rescue, Brandi Brignac said.
According to Brignac, the dogs can smell up to 30 meters beneath the water's surface.
“Obviously it will turn into a recovery at some point, unless he’s found alive," Cromp said.
The family isn't losing hope. They believe he will be found alive.
“We want to exhaust every resource and we want to keep searching until we find him," Lyons said.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will search from sunrise to sunset, and then they will begin again tomorrow.
If you would like to donate to the family's search efforts, click here.
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