US EditionWeston family asks for volunteers to search for men who vanished at sea
The Coast Guard covered 6,700 square miles before suspending the search after three days; volunteers continue efforts to find the two missing men offshore.
- On Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search at sunset after three days of air-, sea-, and volunteer-led efforts that did not locate the men.
- After the men were reported overdue on Dec. 19, a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater helicopter found their vessel adrift about 70 miles off Fort Myers early Saturday morning, Dec. 20.
- Search crews battled 10-mph winds and 3-foot seas while covering 6,700 square miles, and the recovered boat reportedly lacked life jackets, officials said.
- The FBI is now leading the missing-person investigation, and investigators returned the boat to Station Fort Myers Beach for examination.
- Amid the suspension, thousands of volunteers from across Southwest Florida mobilized to continue searching; Scott Smith, volunteer organizer, said, `The volunteers, including many who have not directly met Randy or Brandon have shared they want to help because they love people,' Smith told Fox 4.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Search Is Over for Florida Fishermen Who Went Overboard
Two Florida men left for a day of fishing and never came back. Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew, 33-year-old Brandon Billmaier, both of whom are attorneys, headed out from Fort Myers before sunrise on Friday in a 42-foot Freeman fishing boat and were expected to return that afternoon, relatives...
One of the boaters missing off Fort Myers is lawyer at Boca Raton firm
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended a search for two missing boaters off the Gulf coast on Monday, "pending the development of new information," the agency said.Authorities were searching for 57-year-old Randall Spivey and 33-year-old Brandon Billmaier, who were reported missing by family around 9 p.m. Friday.A helicopter crew discovered their boat empty and still running on Saturday, roughly 70 miles west of Fort Myers, after the two men didn't retu…
Coast Guard suspends search for 2 boaters who went missing off Fort Myers; family speaks out - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
The Coast Guard has suspended the search of two boaters who went missing off the west coast of Florida during their fishing trip. Family members say the prominent Fort Myers lawyer, 57-year-old Randolph Spivey and his uncle, 33-year-old Brandon Billmaier left for a trip to go fishing Friday, but never returned. In a statement posted on social media, the Coast Guard said they would suspend the search on Monday at sunset. The concerned family of t…
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