The U.S. Coast Guard announced Monday night that it was suspending the search for Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier, the two Florida fishermen who were last seen in the Gulf on Friday. USCG officials explained that given the extensive search effort, which covered approximately 6,700 square miles and involved numerous volunteers, they were confident that Spivey and Billmaier would have been found if they were still on the surface.
“There is no harder decision than suspending a search,” USCG Capt. Corrie Sergeant said in a press release. “I am incredibly grateful for the crews, partners, and volunteers across this community who executed this massive search with the utmost professionalism, persistence, and compassion. We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of Mr. Spivey and Mr. Billmaier during this extremely difficult time.”
The search had centered around an area roughly 70 miles offshore from Fort Myers, where their unmanned boat was found drifting in the Gulf around 12 a.m. Saturday. Dozens of volunteer searchers joined the effort by boat or private plane — an effort that was led by one of Spivey’s best friends, Paul Rocuant, and which has also been suspended, according to WINK News.
Speaking with some of the volunteers Monday evening, Rocuant said they had combined forces with the military and other agencies to cover an area roughly the size of Connecticut. He wrote in a Facebook post that while calling off the search was heartbreaking, he knew they had done everything in their power to try and find Spivey and Billmaier.
“Few people were more concerned about the safety of innocent people than Randy and Brandon,” Rocuant wrote, referring to their careers as attorneys. “They would ask that this decision be respected and that the bravery and heroism of those who searched — those in the air and on the water doing the real, dangerous work — be honored.”
The USCG says the FBI will now take over the missing persons investigation.
Dec. 22, 3:36 p.p. EST: The search for two missing Florida fishermen intensified Monday, three days after the U.S. Coast Guard found their boat drifting in the Gulf roughly 70 miles offshore from Fort Myers. Officials said the boat was in gear and still running when they located it Saturday morning. They believe the two fishermen, Randall Spivey and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, were wearing life jackets.
“My dad and my cousin are still missing and we are not giving up,” Spivey’s son, Randy, wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “Based on our search of the boat, we believe they have flotation devices and are waiting to be found. Every hour matters. We need to bring them home.”
Randy told reporters Monday morning that dozens of volunteers had joined the search effort in their own boats and private planes. The Cajun Navy also sent aircraft from Louisiana, and they were scheduled to be in the area by 11 a.m., according to WINK News.
Although the search is being led by the USCG one of Spivey’s best friends, Paul Rocuant, is spearheading the effort to recruit volunteers. He called it one of the largest coordinated search efforts in Florida history in an update he posted to Facebook Monday.
“On behalf of the family, thank you for your continued support, willingness to help, and prayers,” Roucant wrote. “Your assistance truly matters.”
Family members first reported Spivey, 57, and Billmaier, 33, missing on Friday evening. The two fishermen were aboard Spivey’s 42-foot Freeman catamaran. They’d left from a private dock in Iona that morning and were supposed to return by sundown. Spivey’s son, Randy, said his father is a highly experienced boater, and that he and Billmaier have been deep-sea fishing since they were kids.
The search is still centered around the location where the unmanned boat was found drifting Saturday, and officials emphasized that their efforts are still considered a search-and-rescue operation. Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to send a text message to Roucant at (239)634-3400 with the following information:
- Departure port
- Vessel name
- Captain and first mate names and cell numbers
- Vessel range
The post Search Suspended for Missing Florida Fishermen Whose Boat Was Found Drifting in the Gulf appeared first on Outdoor Life.
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