Dad of 2 Went Missing After Boating Accident. Almost a Week Later, Family Is Still Hoping for Closure (Exclusive)

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Dad of 2 Went Missing After Boating Accident. Almost a Week Later, Family Is Still Hoping for Closure (Exclusive)

John DeJonge, 40, remains missing after his boat capsized on an Alabama river on Feb. 15

An adult male and his 2-year-old son, who were also on the boat, survived

As the search continues for his whereabouts, his sister-in-law Alysia DeJonge tells PEOPLE that John, who worked in construction, loved his two kids

The family of John DeJonge, an Alabama man who has been

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after the boat he was on capsized in a river, are still holding out hope for closure.

“We are well aware that he is probably no longer with us,” sister-in-law Alysia DeJonge tells PEOPLE. “But we would like to recover his body to be able to give him a proper service.”

On the evening of Saturday, Feb. 15, three people — identified by loved ones as DeJonge, his friend, and his friend’s two-year-old child — were on a boat in Alabama’s Blakely River just north of the causeway, the Spanish Fort Police Department said in a

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After the boat capsized around 6:00 p.m. local time, all three individuals fell into the water. But while the other adult and his son were able to make it back to the shore, DeJonge, 40, remains missing.

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Before leaving for the boating excursion, DeJonge had been at home with Alyssa and her husband Paul, who is DeJonge’s brother, Alyssa tells PEOPLE.

About two hours later after leaving her home, Alyssa says her husband received a phone call from the surviving friend’s mother, who told them there had been an accident and she was on her way to the hospital.

Alysia and Paul immediately drove to the causeway. “As soon as we’re pulling up, we see ambulances and fire trucks and boats trying to go out,” she says.

Courtesy of Alysia DeJonge

John DeJonge

From what Alysia later learned, the group went out for a test drive on the boat, which belonged to DeJonge’s friend, but when they were about a mile away from the shore, something went wrong.

“The motors quit working,” says Alysia. “They decided they were going to turn around and go back at that point, and they tried to get it going again.”

However, she says the group continued to have issues with the motor, which cut out several times on the way back.

At one point, while trying to work on the motor on the back of the boat, Alysia says they “realized the boat was taking on water” — and while the child was wearing a life jacket, the adults weren’t.

“Once they saw that it was taking on water, they started pulling out the life jackets and a wave hit the boat and flipped it,” she adds.

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According to Alysia, the friend was able to rescue his son and float towards the shore on a piece of the boat, where he was able to flag a car down.

“The little boy was hypothermic and had to be hospitalized for 24 hours, but he’s fine,” she says.

But DeJonge, who was not a good swimmer according to his sister-in-law, remains missing.

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Along with authorities, DeJonge’s family has been involved in the search for their loved one and publicly sought the help of volunteers.

“There’s a lot of emotions,” she says. “It’s hard to come to terms with this, but it is a tragic accident and it could happen to anybody.”

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Courtesy of Alysia DeJonge

John DeJonge (C)

Alysia says that DeJonge — a father of two children, ages 8 and 11, who resides in Daphne, Ala. — has been coming to the home where she and Paul live every day for dinner for nearly three years.

“He loves his kids,” she says of her brother-in-law. “He’s a wonderful, wonderful guy. He will help anybody.”

Although he remains missing, a

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has been established to help raise funds for his memorial.

“He didn’t have life insurance,” Alysia says of her brother-in-law, who worked in construction. “Anything else would basically go to help out the children. He lived with his parents and they split rent. So [it’s] to help them a little bit to get them going.”

As DeJonge’s family awaits word about their loved one, Alysia offers one major takeaway from the ordeal. “Always wear your life jacket,” she says.

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