Coast Guard ends search for missing boaters...

[WoodysGirl]

These three men will be in my prayers. Hopefully they'll find them and they'll be safe and sound.

There are four people on board apparently, so add one to your total.

 

[Kangaroo]

Here is an article listing 2 of the players rumored to be missing

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/3/1/443250.html

another link listing names
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,502785,00.html

PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Coast Guard is searching for a missing fishing boat in the Gulf of Mexico that may have NFL players aboard.

According to officials, the 21-foot fishing boat left from a boat ramp in Clearwater Pass Saturday about 6:30 am with four people on board.
According to one official, Marquis Cooper, Nick Skyler, Corey Smith and a possible fourth person did not return from their fishing trip as expected.

Smith has played the last three seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played with the Buccaneers from 2002-04. Cooper spent the 2008 season with the Oakland Raiders. He was with the Bucs in 2004 and 2005.
The boat, which was about 50 miles out in the Gulf, was supposed to return Saturday evening. The boat was reported missing at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
Officials said searching the water Sunday was difficult due to the rain and wind moving through the Bay area. The Coast is using two boats, a plane and a helicopter in the search, which is being conducted over an area of 750 square miles.

 

[sbark]

There are four people on board apparently, so add one to your total.

presume to be the boat owner, or charter fishing guide etc......no mention of name that I've seen yet...

all 4 need to be in prayers......

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I don't think this one gets a happy ending

 

[TellerMorrow34]

There are four people on board apparently, so add one to your total.

Oops. I missed that. Thank you for the information. All 4 will certainly be in my prayers.

 

[trickblue]

I don't think this one gets a happy ending

I'm afraid you may be right...

 

[DEZBRYANT x88x]

WOW!!

This is sad..

 

[adbutcher]

god bless these guys.

Amen!

 

[Signals]

I don't think this one gets a happy ending

I'm afraid you may be right...

I have a bad feeling about this. After more than twelve hours no recoveries have reported locally.

With the high winds we have had in the last 24 hours, even a navy seal would have had a real challenge 50 miles out in that kind of surf.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

That's terrible.

Maybe being young professional athletes in great condition will help them somehow.

 

[Signals]

Local news reports that the coast guard still has not found the boat or any of it's occupants at 1:30 PM Eastern time.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

This sucks. I have to wonder why people go in the ocean in such small boats.
Hope they are safe some how.

 

[Dallas]

This sucks. I have to wonder why people go in the ocean in such small boats.
Hope they are safe some how.

21 ft boats are very common down in Florida. Even here in Alaska I run w/ my buddy in his 21ft Trophy. They are very solid boats. Where folks get into trouble is not moving in fast enough when things start to cloud up. You have to constantly monitor the marine radio and seas height. They are constantly updating "seas 4ft", "seas 5ft". When the seas hit 5 ft, we automatically pull anchor and move inside the bay and out of the open ocean. Once the seas get that high, a 21 ft boat is going to have a LOT of trouble in the open ocean. Mainly because the waves can came at either side of the boat.

We have been late a time or 2 and couldn't get or boat back inside the bay and had to anchor up outside it, in a tiny cove and spend the night. We didn't get any sleep. We had to make sure the boat wasn't getting to near the rocks, so we were under power the whole time.

It does get freakin spooky out there in that size of a boat, but on a clear day, they are awesome to operate. We get to the fish 2x faster than any of the other big charters.


My prayers are with these men.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

21 ft boats are very common down in Florida. Even here in Alaska I run w/ my buddy in his 21ft Trophy. They are very solid boats. Where folks get into trouble is not moving in fast enough when things start to cloud up. You have to constantly monitor the marine radio and seas height. They are constantly updating "seas 4ft", "seas 5ft". When the seas hit 5 ft, we automatically pull anchor and move inside the bay and out of the open ocean. Once the seas get that high, a 21 ft boat is going to have a LOT of trouble in the open ocean. Mainly because the waves can came at either side of the boat.

We have been late a time or 2 and couldn't get or boat back inside the bay and had to anchor up outside it, in a tiny cove and spend the night. We didn't get any sleep. We had to make sure the boat wasn't getting to near the rocks, so we were under power the whole time.

It does get freakin spooky out there in that size of a boat, but on a clear day, they are awesome to operate. We get to the fish 2x faster than any of the other big charters.


My prayers are with these men.

I have a 32' Wellcraft. I know what it gets like out there.

I wouldn't leave my dock with out radar, storms kick up in minutes around here.
Nor would I leave the dock with out a life raft. (not sure if they had one or not)

I wonder if the person who owns the boat had much experience. It amazes me how many new small boat owners head right for the ocean around here.

 

[Venger]

I don't think this one gets a happy ending

Nope...

Maybe being young professional athletes in great condition will help them somehow.

In other circumstances, I would say yes... but muscle sinks. In everything but water, these guys have an advantage. In water, you want lean over bulk...

Sad to hear.

 

[Hostile]

Updated: March 1, 2009, 3:57 PM ET
Lions' Smith, Raiders' Cooper missing
ESPN.com news services


CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Detroit Lions defensive end Corey Smith and Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper were among four boaters missing Sunday off Florida's Gulf Coast, the Coast Guard and their agents said.

Cooper

Smith

Smith and Cooper were on a 21-foot vessel that left Clearwater Pass on Saturday morning for a fishing trip and did not return as expected, the Coast Guard said Sunday. Crews used a helicopter and a 47-foot boat to search a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass on Sunday.

"We are in contact with the Coast guard and Corey's family has been informed," Smith's agent Ron Del Duca told ESPN.com's Bill Williamson. "Corey is one of the good guys out there. We're just waiting for more information and hoping for the best."

Troy Asmus, one of Cooper's agents, said he has been in contact with the NFL and that the league is aware of the situation.

"I have been in contact with the Coast Guard and they are continuing to work hard to find everyone," Asmus told Williamson. "We are hoping and praying for the best."

Smith owned the boat and he and Cooper had been on fishing trips before, Del Duca said. The pair had been teammates on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. The Coast Guard said the two others were aboard, identified as Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler, but they did not provide other details.

Bleakley is a former USF tight end who last played in 2006, and Schuyler was a walk on who was on the 2006 USF roster.

Smith, 29, had 30 tackles, including three sacks, and an interception in 12 games last season for the winless Lions. Smith, who is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, also played for the San Francisco 49ers and played college ball at North Carolina State.

Del Duca said Smith was planning to start visiting teams as a free agent this week.

Cooper, 26, has played five seasons with the Buccaneers, Seahawks, Jaguars, Steelers and Raiders. He appeared in 26 games with the Buccaneers in 2004 and 2005, recording 30 tackles. He has played sparingly since as he has bounced between teams, appearing in 13 games and recording 10 tackles. Cooper, who is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, played college ball at Washington.

Rick Davis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tampa, said seas were about 2 to 4 feet Saturday morning and increased to 3 to 5 feet in the afternoon. Late Saturday night, a small craft advisory was issued, when winds were around 20 knots and seas were up to 7 feet or more. There were no thunderstorms in the area.

Davis said the water was "extremely rough and choppy" on Sunday afternoon.

Lions spokesman Bill Keenist and Raiders senior executive John Hererra said the teams are monitoring reports.

Bill Williamson covers the AFC West for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

[jobberone]

I have a 32' Wellcraft. I know what it gets like out there.

I wouldn't leave my dock with out radar, storms kick up in minutes around here.
Nor would I leave the dock with out a life raft. (not sure if they had one or not)

I wonder if the person who owns the boat had much experience. It amazes me how many new small boat owners head right for the ocean around here.

I sold my 32 ft Wellcraft not long ago. I agree. I carried a GPS and waterproof marine radio on me and so did my first mate. Even with radar you can suddenly be surrounded esp 60-80 miles out to sea. There's no place to go and 6-8 ft seas are very uncomfortable and nightmarish in the dark. And there's a big difference in a 32 and a 21. They still all get real small read quick in weather.

I hate to say it but those guys probably went down in those seas.

 

[Jon88]

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Coast Guard was searching off Florida's Gulf Coast on Sunday for a fishing boat carrying NFL players Corey Smith and Marquis Cooper and two other men missing nearly a day in choppy seas.

Smith and Cooper were on a 21-foot vessel that left Clearwater Pass for a fishing trip Saturday morning and did not return as expected, the Coast Guard said Sunday. Crews used a helicopter and a 47-foot boat to search a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass, but poor weather made the search difficult. Officials did not receive a distress signal from the missing craft.


ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reports that the Coast Guard has added two Air Force helicopters, a C-130 transport plane, and an 87-foot Coast Guard cutter to the search.


"We are in contact with the Coast guard and Corey's family has been informed," Smith's agent Ron Del Duca told ESPN.com's Bill Williamson. "Corey is one of the good guys out there. We're just waiting for more information and hoping for the best."



Troy Asmus, one of Cooper's agents, said he has been in contact with the NFL and that the league is aware of the situation.

"I have been in contact with the Coast Guard and they are continuing to work hard to find everyone," Asmus told Williamson. "We are hoping and praying for the best."


Cooper owns the boat and he and Smith have been on fishing trips before, Del Duca said. The pair had been teammates on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. The Coast Guard said two others were aboard, identified as Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler. Two others were aboard: Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler, both former University of South Florida players.

Bob Bleakley, father of Will Bleakley, spoke with Paolantonio. Bob Bleakley, who owns a car dealership in Crystal River, Fla., and is a former U.S. Navy officer, said, "I'm extremely hopeful they are going to find him."

Bleakley added, "The boat they were in was very seaworthy ... almost unsinkable."

Bleakley also said his son is an experienced fisherman and has been fishing since he was 12.

Coast Guard Capt. Timothy M. Close said the weather early Saturday had been fair, but worsened toward the evening as a front still battering the area moved in. The National Weather Service said seas were about 2 to 4 feet Saturday morning and increased to 3 to 5 feet in the afternoon. Late Saturday night, a small craft advisory was issued, when winds were around 20 knots and seas were up to 7 feet or more. There were no thunderstorms in the area.

Close said the men were traveling in a boat manufactured by Everglades. At least one of the men was an experienced boater, and relatives provided the Coast Guard with GPS coordinates from previous fishing expeditions.

Close said there was no communication with the men even before the weather started to pick up. They were expected home by early evening. No sign of them or the boat had been spotted by late Sunday afternoon.

Poor weather conditions could be dangerous for a boat the size of Cooper's.

"A 21-foot boat is a relatively small vessel to be 50 miles off shore in bad weather conditions, certainly the current weather conditions," Close said.

The Coast Guard search was mainly taking place by air, and was hampered by the poor weather, Close said. He said there were 14-foot seas offshore and wind gusts of up to 30 mph. Water depth in the area where they are searching ranges from 20 to 50 feet.

Close said there was no sign yet that the men sent a distress signal.

"That's not to say they didn't send one out," he said. "We didn't receive anything."

Smith, 29, had 30 tackles, including three sacks, and an interception in 12 games last season for the winless Lions. Smith, who is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, also played for the San Francisco 49ers and played college ball at North Carolina State. He lives in Richmond, Va.

Del Duca said Smith was planning to start visiting teams as a free agent this week.

"They've assured me that they're deploying all available resources to look for these guys and get them back," he said.

Cooper, 26, has played five seasons with the Buccaneers, Seahawks, Jaguars, Steelers and Raiders. He appeared in 26 games with the Buccaneers in 2004 and 2005, recording 30 tackles. He has played sparingly since as he has bounced between teams, appearing in 13 games and recording 10 tackles. Cooper, who is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, played college ball at Washington. His hometown is Mesa, Ariz., and his father Bruce is a prominent sportscaster for KPNX-TV in Phoenix.

Cooper told The Seattle Times in 2002 that one reason he chose Washington was the abundant fishing.

"I like fighting the fish," Cooper told the newspaper. "And just relaxing out there and being alone and being outside."

Lions spokesman Bill Keenist and Raiders senior executive John Hererra said the teams are monitoring reports.

"First and foremost, however, is that our thoughts and prayers are with all the passengers, their families and all those involved in the search efforts," the Lions said in a team release.

Information from ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, ESPN.com's Bill Williamson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

[ladiewolve]

There are four people on board apparently, so add one to your total.

Amen

 

[ajk23az]

SOURCE: SEARCH CALLED OFF FOR MISSING BOAT
Posted by Mike Florio on March 1, 2009, 10:58 p.m. EST
A source with knowledge of the tragic situation that has unfolded over the past two days in Florida tells us that the authorities have called off the search for a 21-foot fishing boat carrying two NFL players.

We’re told that the boat left from Seminole, not Clearwater, and followed the Intercoastal Waterway.

A search for debris was conducted from Sand Key, which is south of Clearwater, all the way to Anclote in Pasco County.

As it was explained to us, unless the men made it onto another vessel or managed to navigate 13-foot waves in that 21-foot boat, it’s not looking good.

So at a time when we’re down in the dumps to cap a weekend of technical troubles, our measly challenges are in sharp perspective. Say a prayer for Raiders linebacker Marquise Cooper, Lions defensive end Corey Smith, Nick Skyler, and William Bleakley, and for each of their families.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/01/source-search-called-off-for-missing-boat/