Coast Guard ends search for missing boaters...
- Thread starter Signals
- Start date
DallasCowpoke
Fierce Allegiance
- Messages
- 5,539
- Reaction score
- 302
xWraithx;2663965 said:
You're probably right, 'cus getting that many guys named Jesus together in one place, would be tough I bet?
Romo2Dez4six
Touchdown!!!!
- Messages
- 2,022
- Reaction score
- 13
I pray the can find them...
jobberone
Kane Ala
- Messages
- 54,219
- Reaction score
- 19,659
You see 20 footers on the water all the time. Generally they don't have enough gas to get 50-60 miles out into the Gulf. They're safe until they run into a storm then anyone can get into trouble. The longer the keel the easier it is to ride waves but after a point it doesn't matter anymore. In summer thunderstroms are frequent. Without radar you can't see them nearly as well or at all. Some show on radar and not to the eye. It's a lot easier to skirt them in a 30+ footer as they often can go faster in rougher seas allowing you to escape. They also climb and ride waves better. They probably got sideways and swamped by one wave. Even if it didn't turn over at first it would have filled with water and eventually been turned over.
I hope they find the others.
I hope they find the others.
Yeagermeister
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 47,629
- Reaction score
- 117
xWraithx;2664377 said:
Or your local Home Depot
ABQCOWBOY
Regular Joe....
- Messages
- 58,929
- Reaction score
- 27,716
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,504074,00.html
Missing Football Players Weren't Wearing Life Jackets, Coast Guard Says
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Three missing football players weren't wearing life jackets when their boat capsized in Florida waters after a sudden change in the weather, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.
Contrary to earlier reports, the two missing NFL players and a third man — along with a fourth boater found alive on Monday — weren't wearing the vests when they went overboard.
"They didn’t have life jackets on, but they immediately swam under the boat and were able to put the life jackets on," Coast Guard Capt. Timothy Close told reporters Tuesday. "Keep in mind that these gentlemen were out in the dark with no lights on."
The news came as Coast Guard crews embarked on another intensive search in still-chilly Florida seas after the weekend accident.
Close said three vessels, a plane and a helicopter would continue aggressively hunting through the day for signs of Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith and former University of South Florida player William Bleakley.
The fourth person with them, ex-South Florida football player Nick Schuyler, was found alive but weak on Monday clinging to the overturned 21-foot boat owned by Cooper.
"The plan right now is to continue the search through the day," Close told reporters Tuesday. "We're still very actively searching."
Crews found a jacket in the water, but no other signs of the three missing men, he said.
"We did find one dark jacket floating, no name on it," said Close. "That's it so far."
Investigators were able to get scant details of what happened from Schuyler because of his condition — but what he told them allowed Coast Guard teams to narrow their effort Monday and Tuesday to a smaller area of sea near Clearwater.
"Mr. Schuyler was obviously very exhausted, cold and dehydrated, so we were only able to get a little information," Close said.
Related StoriesMissing NFL Players Face Dwindling Odds at Sea
Coast Guard: Weather Makes Search for Missing NFL Players Tough
No SOS Signal Received From Missing NFL Players
Photo EssaysNFL Players Among Missing Boaters
The three missing players faced dwindling odds of survival after more than two days in the water, though their size and good health could help them fend off hypothermia, authorities said.
Coast Guard officials wouldn't speculate on the men's chances of being rescued alive as the search continued Tuesday morning.
There was some hope, even though hypothermia can set in after 18 hours in 64-degree water. Water temperatures were in the mid- to upper-60s.
"With all of these men being past, present football players, they do have a much larger physique than a lot of people," Petty Officer Robert Simpson said. "So their odds are going to be definitely in their favor."
Schuyler was conscious but appeared weak as he was loaded onto a stretcher Monday. His father, Stuart Schuyler, said the former University of South Florida player was bruised and dehydrated but "looks OK." He said his son was in serious but stable condition.
Nick Schuyler told rescuers that the boat the four good friends were aboard was anchored when it flipped Saturday evening in rough seas.
Schuyler, who was wearing a life vest, had been hanging onto the hull that a Coast Guard cutter discovered 35 miles off Clearwater.
The men's families have said they had life vests and flares aboard.
Cooper, 26, is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds; Smith, 29, is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds. Bleakley, 25, played tight end but his size wasn't immediately known.
Schuyler's mother, Marsha Schuyler, said her son told her he survived by thinking about how he didn't want her to go to his funeral.
The family's joy at him being found alive was tempered by the search for his friends.
"We still have three men missing, and we're not going to talk too much until we find these guys," said Stuart Schuyler. "We're all praying for them. These guys are all very close friends."
Searchers had previously covered 16,000 square miles of ocean but the area being searched was much smaller since they found Schuyler, Close said.
Bruce Cooper, the father of Marquis Cooper who is also a prominent sportscaster for KPNX-TV in Phoenix, said in a statement Monday that the family has been overwhelmed with calls, e-mails and text messages from well-wishers. He and other family members were in Tampa awaiting news on the search.
"We remain hopeful that Marquis will be found and returned to us," Cooper said.
Smith's family planned to drive Tuesday to Florida from Richmond, Va., after the snowy weather in the East made getting a flight impossible, said Yolanda Newbill, one of Smith's sisters.
She said they have been in contact with the Coast Guard every few hours since the search began.
"We have total faith that (he) will be coming home," Newbill said.
James Allen, a marine safety consultant who once worked search and rescue operations with the Coast Guard, said the chances of finding survivors diminish after people have been in the water three days.
Survivors have been found who were floating for days, but he added "you just can't swim forever."
The four men left Clearwater Pass early Saturday in calm weather, but heavy winds picked up through the day and the waters grew rough, with waves of 7 feet and higher that peaked at 15 feet on Sunday.
A relative alerted the Coast Guard early Sunday after the men did not return as expected. The Coast Guard said it did not receive a distress signal.
The men were aboard an Everglades-manufactured boat, which is built with compressed foam encased in Fiberglas, making it difficult to sink. The weather had improved, with waves subsiding to 6 to 8 feet, National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Barron said.
Smith, of Richmond, Va., had 30 tackles, including three sacks, and an interception in 12 games last season for the Detroit Lions.
He also played for the San Francisco 49ers and was a standout at North Carolina State.
Cooper played college ball at Washington, and has spent five seasons with five different teams, appearing in 26 games with the Buccaneers in 2004 and 2005. He's played sparingly since.
The Raiders and Lions said in separate statements that the teams hope the men will be rescued and that their thoughts and prayers go out to their families.
Click for more on this story from MyFOXTampaBay.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Missing Football Players Weren't Wearing Life Jackets, Coast Guard Says
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Three missing football players weren't wearing life jackets when their boat capsized in Florida waters after a sudden change in the weather, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.
Contrary to earlier reports, the two missing NFL players and a third man — along with a fourth boater found alive on Monday — weren't wearing the vests when they went overboard.
"They didn’t have life jackets on, but they immediately swam under the boat and were able to put the life jackets on," Coast Guard Capt. Timothy Close told reporters Tuesday. "Keep in mind that these gentlemen were out in the dark with no lights on."
The news came as Coast Guard crews embarked on another intensive search in still-chilly Florida seas after the weekend accident.
Close said three vessels, a plane and a helicopter would continue aggressively hunting through the day for signs of Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith and former University of South Florida player William Bleakley.
The fourth person with them, ex-South Florida football player Nick Schuyler, was found alive but weak on Monday clinging to the overturned 21-foot boat owned by Cooper.
"The plan right now is to continue the search through the day," Close told reporters Tuesday. "We're still very actively searching."
Crews found a jacket in the water, but no other signs of the three missing men, he said.
"We did find one dark jacket floating, no name on it," said Close. "That's it so far."
Investigators were able to get scant details of what happened from Schuyler because of his condition — but what he told them allowed Coast Guard teams to narrow their effort Monday and Tuesday to a smaller area of sea near Clearwater.
"Mr. Schuyler was obviously very exhausted, cold and dehydrated, so we were only able to get a little information," Close said.
Related StoriesMissing NFL Players Face Dwindling Odds at Sea
Coast Guard: Weather Makes Search for Missing NFL Players Tough
No SOS Signal Received From Missing NFL Players
Photo EssaysNFL Players Among Missing Boaters
The three missing players faced dwindling odds of survival after more than two days in the water, though their size and good health could help them fend off hypothermia, authorities said.
Coast Guard officials wouldn't speculate on the men's chances of being rescued alive as the search continued Tuesday morning.
There was some hope, even though hypothermia can set in after 18 hours in 64-degree water. Water temperatures were in the mid- to upper-60s.
"With all of these men being past, present football players, they do have a much larger physique than a lot of people," Petty Officer Robert Simpson said. "So their odds are going to be definitely in their favor."
Schuyler was conscious but appeared weak as he was loaded onto a stretcher Monday. His father, Stuart Schuyler, said the former University of South Florida player was bruised and dehydrated but "looks OK." He said his son was in serious but stable condition.
Nick Schuyler told rescuers that the boat the four good friends were aboard was anchored when it flipped Saturday evening in rough seas.
Schuyler, who was wearing a life vest, had been hanging onto the hull that a Coast Guard cutter discovered 35 miles off Clearwater.
The men's families have said they had life vests and flares aboard.
Cooper, 26, is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds; Smith, 29, is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds. Bleakley, 25, played tight end but his size wasn't immediately known.
Schuyler's mother, Marsha Schuyler, said her son told her he survived by thinking about how he didn't want her to go to his funeral.
The family's joy at him being found alive was tempered by the search for his friends.
"We still have three men missing, and we're not going to talk too much until we find these guys," said Stuart Schuyler. "We're all praying for them. These guys are all very close friends."
Searchers had previously covered 16,000 square miles of ocean but the area being searched was much smaller since they found Schuyler, Close said.
Bruce Cooper, the father of Marquis Cooper who is also a prominent sportscaster for KPNX-TV in Phoenix, said in a statement Monday that the family has been overwhelmed with calls, e-mails and text messages from well-wishers. He and other family members were in Tampa awaiting news on the search.
"We remain hopeful that Marquis will be found and returned to us," Cooper said.
Smith's family planned to drive Tuesday to Florida from Richmond, Va., after the snowy weather in the East made getting a flight impossible, said Yolanda Newbill, one of Smith's sisters.
She said they have been in contact with the Coast Guard every few hours since the search began.
"We have total faith that (he) will be coming home," Newbill said.
James Allen, a marine safety consultant who once worked search and rescue operations with the Coast Guard, said the chances of finding survivors diminish after people have been in the water three days.
Survivors have been found who were floating for days, but he added "you just can't swim forever."
The four men left Clearwater Pass early Saturday in calm weather, but heavy winds picked up through the day and the waters grew rough, with waves of 7 feet and higher that peaked at 15 feet on Sunday.
A relative alerted the Coast Guard early Sunday after the men did not return as expected. The Coast Guard said it did not receive a distress signal.
The men were aboard an Everglades-manufactured boat, which is built with compressed foam encased in Fiberglas, making it difficult to sink. The weather had improved, with waves subsiding to 6 to 8 feet, National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Barron said.
Smith, of Richmond, Va., had 30 tackles, including three sacks, and an interception in 12 games last season for the Detroit Lions.
He also played for the San Francisco 49ers and was a standout at North Carolina State.
Cooper played college ball at Washington, and has spent five seasons with five different teams, appearing in 26 games with the Buccaneers in 2004 and 2005. He's played sparingly since.
The Raiders and Lions said in separate statements that the teams hope the men will be rescued and that their thoughts and prayers go out to their families.
Click for more on this story from MyFOXTampaBay.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
TellerMorrow34
BraveHeartFan
- Messages
- 28,358
- Reaction score
- 5,076
I don't know the stats or anything but what are the odds for a person living this long in the water now? Not too good I wouldn't imagine. Hopefully I'm wrong, cause like I said i certainly don't know the odds on this or anything.
- Messages
- 79,323
- Reaction score
- 45,811
Father: Coast Guard losing hope of finding players
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The father of an NFL player among three men lost at sea says the Coast Guard's hopes are waning of finding survivors off the Florida Gulf Coast.
Bruce Cooper says he still has hope. But the Coast Guard told families privately that officials weren't optimistic because of the timeframe and possibility of hypothermia.
Cooper's son is Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper. The search for him, free-agent lineman Corey Smith and former college player William Bleakley entered its third day Tuesday.
The Coast Guard wouldn't publicly say whether they thought the men were still alive.
But officials did say the search was aided by information from Nick Schuyler, who was rescued Monday clutching the boat's hull. Schuyler says the men put on life vests after the boat overturned Saturday.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The father of an NFL player among three men lost at sea says the Coast Guard's hopes are waning of finding survivors off the Florida Gulf Coast.
Bruce Cooper says he still has hope. But the Coast Guard told families privately that officials weren't optimistic because of the timeframe and possibility of hypothermia.
Cooper's son is Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper. The search for him, free-agent lineman Corey Smith and former college player William Bleakley entered its third day Tuesday.
The Coast Guard wouldn't publicly say whether they thought the men were still alive.
But officials did say the search was aided by information from Nick Schuyler, who was rescued Monday clutching the boat's hull. Schuyler says the men put on life vests after the boat overturned Saturday.
Cajuncowboy
Preacher From The Black Lagoon
- Messages
- 27,499
- Reaction score
- 81
Are sharks normally found in those waters?
I was asked that today and I'm not familiar with the area they were in.
Hate to think that way but I guess in these cases you have to explore all possibilities.
I was asked that today and I'm not familiar with the area they were in.
Hate to think that way but I guess in these cases you have to explore all possibilities.
Cajuncowboy
Preacher From The Black Lagoon
- Messages
- 27,499
- Reaction score
- 81
trickblue;2665265 said:
Thanks.
Dang!
Everlastingxxx
All Star
- Messages
- 7,209
- Reaction score
- 188
If i were out there floating, stop searching after the 6th hour, im done. But these guys are athletes. I wouldn’t give up just yet. I think today they have to find them.
TellerMorrow34
BraveHeartFan
- Messages
- 28,358
- Reaction score
- 5,076
Everlastingxxx;2665278 said:
You're saying you're body would quit after 6 hours or you'd give up? I'd like to believe a person has the will, and determination, to live for a lot longer than 6 hours.
Everlastingxxx
All Star
- Messages
- 7,209
- Reaction score
- 188
BraveHeartFan;2665280 said:
Probably both. I am not much into the outdoors. And no way i would be out in the middle of the ocean in that little boat.
ABQCOWBOY
Regular Joe....
- Messages
- 58,929
- Reaction score
- 27,716
Everlastingxxx;2665278 said:
Unfortunatly, the fact that they are Athetes doesn't really have much significans, in relation to the chances of survival at this point. It's just been too long I think. Hopefully, they can recover them relatively soon. The longer they are in the water, the harder it is for the families.
GimmeTheBall!
Junior College Transfer
- Messages
- 37,834
- Reaction score
- 18,167
I fear the worst.
Even if all had life vests, hypothermia would have set in long ago.
This is terrible for three young men and their families.
The families need to prepare themselves emotionally that the 3 have just been out there too long for this to have a good ending.
Even if all had life vests, hypothermia would have set in long ago.
This is terrible for three young men and their families.
The families need to prepare themselves emotionally that the 3 have just been out there too long for this to have a good ending.