Solider reported missing at Camp Blanding found dead, sheriff’s office launching undetermined death investigation

Jacksonville, FL — UPDATE: In a tragic update, Friday evening, the Clay County Sheriff's Office says Specialist Cayln McLemore has been found dead in a wooded area of Camp Blanding. The sheriff's office says they're now launching an undetermined death investigation, so no further details are available at this time. McLemore went missing during a land navigation course on Wednesday.

ORIGINAL STORY: The Clay County Sheriff's Office says more than 450 men and women are involved in the search for a missing Alabama Army Reservist at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center.

WOKV told you on Thursday when the Florida National Guard first put out an alert for the missing soldier, who they say was last seen on Wednesday about 11 AM during a land navigation course.

The soldier has now been identified as Cayln McLemore.

"It should have taken but a couple of hours to do this [the land navigation course]. We all know living down here with the extreme heat, that the conditions are very, very tough these last couple of days.... So, we're still remaining positive and hoping we can locate him, and he'll just require some medical attention," says Sgt. Keith Smith with the Clay County Sheriff's Office.

At this time, they say have located some of the equipment that McLemore had on him, so they're concentrating the search on those areas.

Investigators say there's no indication that he went AWOL, as he's described as a 'squared-away soldier' that wanted to go out there and complete the course. Instead, they worry he may have pushed too hard in the heat.

Smith describes parts of the course as swampy, with some areas up to waist height. We’re told searchers have already encountered water moccasins and other hazardous wildlife.

In addition to Clay County Sheriff's Office employees, they're receiving assistance from the following list of agencies: Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco County Emergency Management, Camp Blanding Military personnel, Clay Emergency Management, Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Task Force 5, St. John’s County Sheriff’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, State of Florida Region 3 All Hazard Incident Management Team and the State of Florida Region 4 All Hazard Incident Management Team, and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.