Coast Guard suspends search for missing boaters off Fort Myers
The Coast Guard has announced it was suspending the search for two missing boaters at sunset today, pending the development of new information.
Missing are 57-year-old Randall Spivey and 33-year-old Brandon Billmaier.
“After the utmost consideration and careful review of all factors involved in this case, the Coast Guard made the difficult decision to suspend its active search efforts,” said Capt. Corrie Sergent, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg in a prepared statement issued by the Coast Guard. “There is no harder decision than suspending a search. 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.”
Coast Guard and partner agency crews searched by air and sea covering approximately 6,700 square miles, about the size of the state of Connecticut, the release states. On-scene weather conditions during the search were approximately 10 mph winds and 3-foot seas.
“The Coast Guard diligently searched with our pilots, boat forces, cutter crews, and numerous partners,” said Lt. Amy Harrison, a search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. “We saturated an incredibly large search area but, unfortunately, were unable to locate the two missing men.”
A loved one reported the men overdue to a Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstander at approximately 9 p.m., Friday, stating the two boaters went on a fishing trip approximately 100 miles offshore and were due to return at sunset.
Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders coordinated the launch of rescue crews to the boaters’ last known position.
A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater helicopter crew found the vessel adrift, still in gear, roughly 70 miles west of Fort Myers at approximately 12 a.m., Saturday. A rescue swimmer was lowered, stopped the engines, and anchored the vessel for safety. Later that day, the boat was brought back to Station Fort Myers Beach for further investigation.
The FBI is leading the missing person investigation.
Rescue crews involved in the search included:
Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater
Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach
Coast Guard Air Station Miami
Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City
Coast Guard Cutter Crocodile
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders
Coast Guard Southeast District watchstanders
920th Rescue Wing
Florida State Guard
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Collier County Fire Department
Volunteers and good Samaritans joined the search efforts using private boats and aircraft.
Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of the missing boaters, is asked to contact the Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg command center at 866-881-1392.