Coast Guard Calls Off Search For Plane Captain After Crash In Ocean Waters
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The US Coast Guard has called off its search efforts for Captain Robert Hopkins.
His fiancé, Michele Gure looked through photos showing Hopkins, some called "Bubba". Gure has been with Hopkins for four years.
"He's funny. His sense of humor. He always wants to solve problems. He wants everybody to be happy," Gure said.
Saturday, search efforts were suspended for Hopkins after 21 hours of looking for him off the coast of Miami.
"I just try not to think about it, to be honest with you. That's how I am dealing with it right now," Gure said.
Plane debris was left behind after the crash, 15 miles away from the Haulover Inlet Friday afternoon.
"I thought he's coming. He is coming but now it's just — they called the search off," Gure said.
The captain was flying from Nassau to Opa-locka. It was a cargo flight he has flown multiple times.
"Disbelief; I just couldn't. I was like why are you…I just couldn't accept it. I don't know how to explain it," Gure said.
The Coast Guard was able to quickly find First Officer Rolland Silva in the water Friday afternoon.
The first officer was then rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital. His condition is unclear. Gure said Hopkins spoke highly of Silva and others. That's a characteristic that attracted people to the captain.
"He has the most energy of anybody and he gets it done. He's a good friend. People love him."
The Convair aircraft is registered to Conquest Air Cargo in Miami Lakes. The National Transportation Safety Board told CBS 4 Saturday it's working to gather more information on what led to the emergency.
While Gure waits for that answer, she has memories, pictures, and her engagement ring in honor of Hopkins.
