Coast Guard ends search for missing boaters...
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jobberone
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It's not merely the height of waves but the period and how chaotic it is. 6-8 ft seas with periods of 15 seconds aren't bad at all. 6ft waves with 4sec periods are battering rams. It can be so choppy you can't run the boat in any direction without getting hammered. Add in current, wind, rain, lightning, fear, cold and exhaustion while being in the water and it's difficult to hang on. It took them 20 minutes to find me 20 miles off shore and I had to fight panic. And without a regulator stuffed in my mouth I would have had to fight the entire time to not inhale water.
My heart goes out to their families. I do hope they find the bodies soon.
My heart goes out to their families. I do hope they find the bodies soon.
Gemini Dolly
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Oh man, how sad.
I dont know how accurate this is, but I read where the survivor said one of the NFL players decided to take off his life vest and drift away after about 4 hours when he had lost hope. Then the other followed suit a few hours later. The remaining one thought he saw a light and decided to take his life vest to swim to it for help.
So sad if thats true.
I dont know how accurate this is, but I read where the survivor said one of the NFL players decided to take off his life vest and drift away after about 4 hours when he had lost hope. Then the other followed suit a few hours later. The remaining one thought he saw a light and decided to take his life vest to swim to it for help.
So sad if thats true.
Gemini Dolly
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The two NFL players let themselves be swept away
(03/03/2009 6:11 PM)
Nick Schuyler, 24, told investigators that about two to four hours after their boat capsized Saturday in rough seas, one of the two professional football players gave up hope and let himself be swept away, according to family members of two of the missing men.
A few hours later, the second one did the same.
"We were told that Nick said the two NFL players took their life jackets off and drifted out to sea," said Bob Bleakley, whose son Will, 25, is also still missing.
With former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith gone, only Schuyler and Bleakley remained clinging to the boat.
Then, sometime Monday morning, Will Bleakley thought he saw a light in the distance and decided to take off his life jacket and swim to it, hoping to get help.
"I think he was delusional to think he could swim someplace," Bleakley said.
Ray Sanchez, Cooper's cousin, said the Coast Guard told him the same thing, but cautioned against taking Schuyler's story as gospel at this point.
"We're not 100 percent sure where his head was at," Sanchez said. "He'd been through a lot."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/article980720.ece
(03/03/2009 6:11 PM)
Nick Schuyler, 24, told investigators that about two to four hours after their boat capsized Saturday in rough seas, one of the two professional football players gave up hope and let himself be swept away, according to family members of two of the missing men.
A few hours later, the second one did the same.
"We were told that Nick said the two NFL players took their life jackets off and drifted out to sea," said Bob Bleakley, whose son Will, 25, is also still missing.
With former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith gone, only Schuyler and Bleakley remained clinging to the boat.
Then, sometime Monday morning, Will Bleakley thought he saw a light in the distance and decided to take off his life jacket and swim to it, hoping to get help.
"I think he was delusional to think he could swim someplace," Bleakley said.
Ray Sanchez, Cooper's cousin, said the Coast Guard told him the same thing, but cautioned against taking Schuyler's story as gospel at this point.
"We're not 100 percent sure where his head was at," Sanchez said. "He'd been through a lot."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/article980720.ece
ABQCOWBOY
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jobberone;2665982 said:
At 15 ft. trying to hang onto a capsized craft in the open sea, it doesn't matter the frequence of the wave. The weight and volume of the water breaking against that craft and consiquently, those men would have been too much, IMO. Of course, if the waves were more constint, and I think this likely if you check the projected winds Saturday evening to Sunday Morning.
EveryoneElse
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Gemini Dolly;2666014 said:
I don't understand that.....not one bit. Let go of the boat, maybe....but take off your life preserver? That doesn't make sense to me. Someone wanna attempt to make sense of that one?
Edit: I feel for all involved, especially any youngsters that lost their fathers.
Chocolate Lab
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EveryoneElse;2666032 said:
They decided they didn't want to die a slow death, I guess.
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Search ends for NFL players lost off Fla. coast
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO, Associated Press Writer
23 minutes ago
Buzz up!1749 votes PrintCLEARWATER, Fla. (AP)—After three days of combing 24,000 miles of ocean, the Coast Guard on Tuesday stopped searching for two NFL players and a third man lost in rough, chilly Gulf of Mexico waters off the Florida coast.
Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith, who played with the Detroit Lions last season, and former South Florida player William Bleakley, had been missing since Saturday when their boat capsized during a fishing trip.
Bleakley’s father said he thought the Coast Guard did everything it could and that his expectations lowered after only one survivor was found Monday, nearly two days after the four friends were knocked out of their 21-foot boat.
“I think they were not to be found,” Robert Bleakley said.
Coast Guard Capt. Timothy Close said officials were sure that if there were any more survivors, they would have been found.
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Crews did rescue Bleakley’s former South Florida teammate, 24-year-old Nick Schuyler, who managed to stay with the boat.
Scott Miller, a friend of the college teammates, said Schuyler told him that on the first night, a chopper shone a light right above them and that later on, as they continued to drift, he could even see lights from the shore.
It was Bleakley who swam underneath to retrieve three life jackets he could find, along with a cushion, a groggy Schuyler told Miller from a Tampa hospital. Bleakley used the cushion and the other men wore the jackets, Miller said.
But the waves were powerful, and after Cooper and Smith got separated from the boat, the college teammates tried to hang on.
“He said basically that Will helped him keep going,” Schuyler told Miller, who said he had known Bleakley since the sixth grade. “The waves were just so much. They never got a break.”
He said searchers came across a cooler and a life jacket 16 miles southeast of the boat, but saw no other signs of the men.
“I think the families understood that we put in a tremendous effort,” Close said. “Any search and rescue case we have to stop is disappointing.”
Family and friends embraced and sobbed outside the Coast Guard station shortly before the announcement. They left without talking with reporters.
“I’m sure that I’ll speak of Will like he’s still with us for a long time,” Robert Bleakley said later of his son. “He’ll be an inspiration for me for a long time. He always has been. I told everybody, I call him my hero.”
Lions running back Kevin Smith called Corey Smith “a good, quiet guy, who always put in an honest day’s work.”
Kevin Smith, a Florida native, said he has been fishing off the coast as far as the men were in boats smaller, the same size and larger than the watercraft that capsized.
“The No. 1 thing when you’re out there is, you have to respect the water,” he said. “I know those guys had safety vests. I’m trying not to even think about it. That’s a tough way to go.”
Quarterback Jon Kitna, a former teammate with the Lions the past three seasons, said you never expect something like this to happen to a guy you know.
“It’s a reminder of how life is fragile,” he said. “Corey was a great dude.”
The four men left Clearwater Pass early Saturday in calm weather, but heavy winds picked up through the day and the seas got stronger, with waves of 7 feet and higher, peaking at 15 feet on Sunday. The Coast Guard said it did not receive a distress signal.
Close said some family members asked about continuing the search on their own, which he discouraged but said the Coast Guard wouldn’t prevent. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may be heading out Wednesday to recover the boat.
Schuyler told the Coast Guard the boat was anchored when it capsized.
The Coast Guard hadn’t had more detailed conversations with Schuyler “due to his physical and medical condition,” Close said. Schuyler was in fair condition and told hospital officials he didn’t want to speak to the media.
Cooper, who is 26 and owns the boat, was selected in the third round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Washington. He played 26 games for the Bucs in his first two pro seasons, then led a nomadic NFL existence.
Cooper and Smith, 29, became friends when they were teammates at Tampa Bay. Smith signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in 2002, and spent last season with Detroit before becoming a free agent. The former North Carolina State standout recorded 42 tackles (28 solo), three sacks and 10 special teams tackles in 2008, his best NFL season.
Bleakley, a 25-year-old former tight end from Crystal River, Fla., was on the USF football team in 2004 and 2005. He had one reception for 13 yards in his career, which also included some time on special teams.
Stuart Schuyler said his son is an instructor at L.A. Fitness and had helped train Smith and Cooper.
AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO, Associated Press Writer
23 minutes ago
Buzz up!1749 votes PrintCLEARWATER, Fla. (AP)—After three days of combing 24,000 miles of ocean, the Coast Guard on Tuesday stopped searching for two NFL players and a third man lost in rough, chilly Gulf of Mexico waters off the Florida coast.
Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith, who played with the Detroit Lions last season, and former South Florida player William Bleakley, had been missing since Saturday when their boat capsized during a fishing trip.
Bleakley’s father said he thought the Coast Guard did everything it could and that his expectations lowered after only one survivor was found Monday, nearly two days after the four friends were knocked out of their 21-foot boat.
“I think they were not to be found,” Robert Bleakley said.
Coast Guard Capt. Timothy Close said officials were sure that if there were any more survivors, they would have been found.
ADVERTISEMENT
Crews did rescue Bleakley’s former South Florida teammate, 24-year-old Nick Schuyler, who managed to stay with the boat.
Scott Miller, a friend of the college teammates, said Schuyler told him that on the first night, a chopper shone a light right above them and that later on, as they continued to drift, he could even see lights from the shore.
It was Bleakley who swam underneath to retrieve three life jackets he could find, along with a cushion, a groggy Schuyler told Miller from a Tampa hospital. Bleakley used the cushion and the other men wore the jackets, Miller said.
But the waves were powerful, and after Cooper and Smith got separated from the boat, the college teammates tried to hang on.
“He said basically that Will helped him keep going,” Schuyler told Miller, who said he had known Bleakley since the sixth grade. “The waves were just so much. They never got a break.”
He said searchers came across a cooler and a life jacket 16 miles southeast of the boat, but saw no other signs of the men.
“I think the families understood that we put in a tremendous effort,” Close said. “Any search and rescue case we have to stop is disappointing.”
Family and friends embraced and sobbed outside the Coast Guard station shortly before the announcement. They left without talking with reporters.
“I’m sure that I’ll speak of Will like he’s still with us for a long time,” Robert Bleakley said later of his son. “He’ll be an inspiration for me for a long time. He always has been. I told everybody, I call him my hero.”
Lions running back Kevin Smith called Corey Smith “a good, quiet guy, who always put in an honest day’s work.”
Kevin Smith, a Florida native, said he has been fishing off the coast as far as the men were in boats smaller, the same size and larger than the watercraft that capsized.
“The No. 1 thing when you’re out there is, you have to respect the water,” he said. “I know those guys had safety vests. I’m trying not to even think about it. That’s a tough way to go.”
Quarterback Jon Kitna, a former teammate with the Lions the past three seasons, said you never expect something like this to happen to a guy you know.
“It’s a reminder of how life is fragile,” he said. “Corey was a great dude.”
The four men left Clearwater Pass early Saturday in calm weather, but heavy winds picked up through the day and the seas got stronger, with waves of 7 feet and higher, peaking at 15 feet on Sunday. The Coast Guard said it did not receive a distress signal.
Close said some family members asked about continuing the search on their own, which he discouraged but said the Coast Guard wouldn’t prevent. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may be heading out Wednesday to recover the boat.
Schuyler told the Coast Guard the boat was anchored when it capsized.
The Coast Guard hadn’t had more detailed conversations with Schuyler “due to his physical and medical condition,” Close said. Schuyler was in fair condition and told hospital officials he didn’t want to speak to the media.
Cooper, who is 26 and owns the boat, was selected in the third round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Washington. He played 26 games for the Bucs in his first two pro seasons, then led a nomadic NFL existence.
Cooper and Smith, 29, became friends when they were teammates at Tampa Bay. Smith signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in 2002, and spent last season with Detroit before becoming a free agent. The former North Carolina State standout recorded 42 tackles (28 solo), three sacks and 10 special teams tackles in 2008, his best NFL season.
Bleakley, a 25-year-old former tight end from Crystal River, Fla., was on the USF football team in 2004 and 2005. He had one reception for 13 yards in his career, which also included some time on special teams.
Stuart Schuyler said his son is an instructor at L.A. Fitness and had helped train Smith and Cooper.
AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Detroit contributed to this report.
jobberone
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ABQCOWBOY;2666028 said:
Sorry but you're wrong. If the periods are long then it's not so bad assuming the wind isn't horrible and the waters not chaotic. It's just up and down. I'm talking about being in a boat but with long periods and no wind it wouldn't be bad. The point is it's not just really wave height that is in the formula.
ABQCOWBOY
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jobberone;2666050 said:
I'm not wrong. I know exactly how difficult it is and how physically exausting it is to tread water under those types of conditions. I believe the winds were reported to be 40 to 50 miles an hour at approximatly 50 miles out. That's about 35 to 45 knots, actually a bit less. The height was in response to visability more then anything but you are correct that it's not just wave height. It is also wave length. Wave pulse is really the killer here. This determins rate of break and again, as I said earlier, do the math at 35 to 45 knots and the transfer of energy is pretty dramatic. the difference here is that if you are in a craft, you are essentially riding the wave so a gentle or rolling wave is much easier to ride. However, if you are submerged and holding onto a fixed object, such as the capsized craft, you are essentially acting as a break. Because the boat was anchored, it was a fixed object from which the kenetic energy of the wave could expend itself on. It is the difference between being in a craft or riding a board and absorbing the energy of the waves against your body and in turn, into the craft.
If the previous story is true, then it's pretty evident in that both the players were fit and after a period of 4 and 8 hours, both were spent. Find the most physically fit person you know and ask them to tread water, with a Vest on for 4 hours in a pool and see what happens. It is a chore even under the best conditions.
It is regreatable and I am sorry for the families.
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Coast Guard calls off search for missing boaters
Clearwater, FL (Sports Network) - The Coast Guard held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to announce they have suspended the search for three missing boaters, including Oakland Raiders linebacker Victor "Marquis" Cooper and Detroit Lions defensive end Corey Smith, as of 6:30 (et) Tuesday.
Also missing is William Bleakley, a former player for the University of South Florida. The fourth boater, Nick Schuyler, also a former USF player, was rescued by the Coast Guard on Monday.
Schuyler was discovered clinging to an overturned vessel 35 miles west of Tampa Bay, Florida. He said the boat was anchored before being flipped in rough seas Saturday evening. The Coast Guard had narrowed their search off the coast of Clearwater Pass based on information provided by Schuyler and discovered a unmanned life vest and cooler believed to be from the boat earlier Tuesday 16 miles southeast of where the boat capsized.
Copper's father, Bruce, and close friend, Dallas Cowboys player Tank Johnson, held an impromptu news conference after the Coast Guard's announcement stating they were not giving up hope and made a plea for help from the private sector.
"We will not give up hope that Marquis is out there fighting and trying to return. That is our attitude. At some point maybe reality will set in and we'll discover otherwise," said Bruce Cooper.
"What we're asking for is experienced aviation pilots who are interested in helping us find the remains, if not Marquis floating on the water," Johnson said. "The Coast Guard did a wonderful job but when you're looking for someone, a family member, there is a certain connection you're looking for. We feel like if we get the chance to go out there...anything can happen, stranger things have happened. We still have faith."
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., received a call around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning saying that four boaters, Cooper, Smith, Skylar and Bleakley, did not return as scheduled from their fishing trip. The four men left Clearwater Pass about 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning in a 21-foot center console boat.
"Today's news is a sobering reminder about how truly precious and fragile life can be. We will continue to pray for a miracle, though we fully understand and respect the decision of the Coast Guard," a statement released by the Detroit Lions said. "We were thrilled yesterday with the news of Nick's rescue, and it gave all of us hope that Corey, Will and Marquis would also be found alive. While we still have that hope, we have begun to cope with the grim reality of this sad and tragic situation. We cannot adequately express our heartfelt appreciation to the Coast Guard and all the Florida authorities involved in the rescue mission. Their heroic efforts saved at least one life, and we know they did everything possible for Corey, Will and Marquis."
Smith, 29, had 30 tackles, three sacks and an interception in 12 games last season for the winless Lions. The 6-foot-2, 250-pounder had 83 tackles, 8 1/2 sacks and the pick in 62 career games with Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Detroit.
The 6-3, 215-pound Cooper had played sparingly over the past three seasons, appearing in only 13 games and recording just 10 tackles. After recording 32 tackles in 26 games with Tampa Bay from 2004-05, the 26-year-old Cooper bounced between Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Seattle and Jacksonville before settling in Oakland for the 2008 season.
Smith and Cooper were teammates on the Bucs in 2004.
03/03 20:21:13 ET
Clearwater, FL (Sports Network) - The Coast Guard held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to announce they have suspended the search for three missing boaters, including Oakland Raiders linebacker Victor "Marquis" Cooper and Detroit Lions defensive end Corey Smith, as of 6:30 (et) Tuesday.
Also missing is William Bleakley, a former player for the University of South Florida. The fourth boater, Nick Schuyler, also a former USF player, was rescued by the Coast Guard on Monday.
Schuyler was discovered clinging to an overturned vessel 35 miles west of Tampa Bay, Florida. He said the boat was anchored before being flipped in rough seas Saturday evening. The Coast Guard had narrowed their search off the coast of Clearwater Pass based on information provided by Schuyler and discovered a unmanned life vest and cooler believed to be from the boat earlier Tuesday 16 miles southeast of where the boat capsized.
Copper's father, Bruce, and close friend, Dallas Cowboys player Tank Johnson, held an impromptu news conference after the Coast Guard's announcement stating they were not giving up hope and made a plea for help from the private sector.
"We will not give up hope that Marquis is out there fighting and trying to return. That is our attitude. At some point maybe reality will set in and we'll discover otherwise," said Bruce Cooper.
"What we're asking for is experienced aviation pilots who are interested in helping us find the remains, if not Marquis floating on the water," Johnson said. "The Coast Guard did a wonderful job but when you're looking for someone, a family member, there is a certain connection you're looking for. We feel like if we get the chance to go out there...anything can happen, stranger things have happened. We still have faith."
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., received a call around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning saying that four boaters, Cooper, Smith, Skylar and Bleakley, did not return as scheduled from their fishing trip. The four men left Clearwater Pass about 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning in a 21-foot center console boat.
"Today's news is a sobering reminder about how truly precious and fragile life can be. We will continue to pray for a miracle, though we fully understand and respect the decision of the Coast Guard," a statement released by the Detroit Lions said. "We were thrilled yesterday with the news of Nick's rescue, and it gave all of us hope that Corey, Will and Marquis would also be found alive. While we still have that hope, we have begun to cope with the grim reality of this sad and tragic situation. We cannot adequately express our heartfelt appreciation to the Coast Guard and all the Florida authorities involved in the rescue mission. Their heroic efforts saved at least one life, and we know they did everything possible for Corey, Will and Marquis."
Smith, 29, had 30 tackles, three sacks and an interception in 12 games last season for the winless Lions. The 6-foot-2, 250-pounder had 83 tackles, 8 1/2 sacks and the pick in 62 career games with Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Detroit.
The 6-3, 215-pound Cooper had played sparingly over the past three seasons, appearing in only 13 games and recording just 10 tackles. After recording 32 tackles in 26 games with Tampa Bay from 2004-05, the 26-year-old Cooper bounced between Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Seattle and Jacksonville before settling in Oakland for the 2008 season.
Smith and Cooper were teammates on the Bucs in 2004.
03/03 20:21:13 ET
BigBoy63
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This is very upsetting, these guys will be missed, but i'm sure they never gave up hope. Unfortunatelt we cannot say the same about our coast guard. I wish it didn't have to end this way.... May they Rest in Peace, who knows maybe God is jus filling his team roster. He now has a Linebacker and a DE to scratch off the needs list.
Romo2Dez4six
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i am with you bro.....Corey I will see you later... R.I.P.BigBoy63;2666203 said:
jobberone
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xWraithx;2665990 said:
I was diving on a wreck 20-30 miles offshore and I couldn't find the anchor line when it was time to come up. I got caught in the current and surfaced just within sight of the boat. They couldn't come as there were other divers down. In less than two minutes I couldn't see the boat. I was alone for awhile with nothing in sight. I'm lucky they found me so fast.