FL FL - NFL Players missing off Clearwater Pass - Boat capsized - 28 Feb 2009

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http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2009/03/coast-guard-is.html

Coast Guard is searching for four missing boaters

CLEARWATER-- The Coast Guard is looking for a missing boat about 50 miles off Clearwater Pass. At least two professional football players were on board. Victor "Marquis" Cooper, who plays for the Oakland Raiders, Corey Smith of the Detroit Lions, Nick Skyler, and a possible fourth person did not return from their fishing trip as expected last night. Both Cooper, who turns 27 next week, and Smith, 29, are former Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cooper, a linebacker, played for the Bucs in 2004 and 2005. Smith, a defensive end, played for the Bucs from 2002 to 2004. Four people were on the 21-foot boat that left Clearwater Pass Saturday, according to the Coast Guard. At about 1:30 a.m. this morning, the Coast Guard received a call that several friends did not return from a fishing trip. The group reportedly left for the trip about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, from the Seminole Boat Ramp in Clearwater Pass.
A Jayhawk helicopter and boat crews are searching a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at (727) 824-7506, or by marine VHF radio channel 16.
 
Here's more
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,502785,00.html


The Coast Guard is searching the waters off the west coast of Florida for a missing fishing boat with two NFL players on board, officials said.
A friend reported Oakland Raiders linebacker Victor "Marquis" Cooper, Detroit Lion defensive end Corey Smith and Nick Skyler missing at about 1:30 a.m. A fourth, unidentified person was also on the boat.
The boat departed from the Seminole Boat Ramp in Clearwater Pass early Saturday morning and was supposed to return sometimes after dark, but never did.
A Coast Guard 47-foot motor-life boat crew from Station Sand Key, Fla., HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and C-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, and the Coast Guard Cutter Crocodile are searching a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass for the missing boaters.
The Oakland Raiders signed veteran free agent Cooper, 26, on Nov. 5, 2008, according to his player's biography on the team's Web site. Cooper orginally entered the NFL as a third round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004.
He played in 26 games for Tampa Bay from 2004-05, one game for Seattle in 2006 and four games for Jacksonville and Pittsburgh in 2007. He has played in a total of 31 league games and has recorded 29 solo tackles.
The 29-year-old Smith is listed as an unrestricted free agent on the Lion's Web site. The Richnond, Va., native was a four-year letterman at North Carolina State and was signed by Tampa Bay in 2002.
He has been with the Lions since 2006, after a two-year stint with the the San Francisco 49ers.
 
I just read this on yahoo.com OBE. I hope they're found safe but it doesn't sound good. I live on the east coast and the weather has been horrible.
 
We have two threads about this. Maybe one of the mods can merge them?
 
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-missingboaters-nfl&prov=ap&type=lgns


CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP)—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.
Cooper owns the boat and he and Smith have been on fishing trips before, said Ron Del Duca, Smith’s agent. The pair had been teammates on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. Two others were aboard: Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler, both former University of South Florida players.
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.


more at link!
 
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/01/florida.missing.boaters/index.html

1 March 09

Ron Del Duca, agent for Corey Smith, told CNN that Smith and Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper were among four men who had not returned from a boating trip Saturday in waters off Clearwater, Florida.

Smith, currently a free agent with the NFL, played defensive end for the Detroit Lions for the past three seasons.

The Coast Guard said it was directing a search Sunday for the boaters.

Rough weather has hampered the effort, but "it's still a very active search," Coast Guard Capt. Tim Close told reporters Sunday afternoon.

Poor visibility from heavy waves forced the search-and-rescue effort to be conducted primarily by air, though authorities deployed patrol boats as well, Close said.

Searchers were focusing on an area about 50 miles west of Clearwater Pass, where the four embarked from the Seminole Boat Ramp about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard said.

more at link

pics at link
 
It's not looking good, but PLEASE hope for a miracle...one of the missing boaters is my nephew. Nick, hang in there - they are searching all night for you!!
 
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, Roxanne! I'm praying for all involved.

I live in Clearwater. Well, Dunedin, actually, but I lived in Clearwater most of my life. Reading comments on articles, etc, these poor guys are getting a lot of criticism for going out in the weather. I think that's not entirely fair, though, because while it was pretty windy, I'm not sure anyone anticipated how windy it ended up getting. We've had 40-45 mph wind speeds over the last 36 hours.

I'm praying they're just out there on a tiny barrier island, or something. Cold, probably, but okay. It's getting pretty extensive coverage here, and I keep checking the news for updates. I'm a huge Bucs fan and of course remember these guys, and does Nick play football for USF? His name sounds familiar, too.

Many prayers.
 
One more thing. This was posted on baynews9.com in the comments section:

I don't like to second guess the Coast Guard (they have to go on the info furnished to them by the families as to where the missing guys said they were going fishing), but I would be searching in much closer for several reasons. The first is that is was rough on the Gulf Saturday. I run charter boats (and have in this area for nearly 40 years). My boat is nearly forty feet long, probably weighs 20,000 lbs more than the missing boat, and I cancelled my trip Saturday because of the weather forecast. The reports I have read indicate that the Coast Guard is searching 50 miles out, in 50 ft of water. The only direction you can travel 50 miles, and still be in only 50 ft of water is NNW, which puts them offshore of the Homosassa area. I seriously doubt they ever made it 50 miles out. A fifty mile ride ride in 4' seas in a 21' Everglades Center Console would not have been a pleasant experience. I'm betting that they only made it twenty miles at the most. Besides, Grouper seaon is closed, so whats the sense running out that distance to release fish in the semi-nasty weather we had Saturday morning? The only fish worth catching offshore right now are Amberjack, and believe me you are not going to catch them in 50' of water of Bayport/Homossassa. If they capsized or became dead in the water (and didn't anchor), the 25 knot NW winds we have had since early morning would have pushed them in even closer to shore. Hopefully I'm right, and 4 shivvering fshermen will be found wandering on Indian Rocks Beach tomorrow morning. If any relatives of the missing fisherman read this, my contact info is on my website @ Megabitecharters.com I'd like to ask you a few questions
Click to expand...

If you or your family members could contact him, maybe he might be able to provide some hope. He really knows his stuff.
 
Roxanne said:
It's not looking good, but PLEASE hope for a miracle...one of the missing boaters is my nephew. Nick, hang in there - they are searching all night for you!!
Click to expand...
Oh my gosh Roxanne. I am so sorry and am thinking of you and your family during this terrible ordeal.
 
I don't know anything about boats but I heard though their boat is small it is the kind that is difficult to sink?? What are their chances- me knowing nothing about this area or boating really.
Praying they make it back safe and sound.
 
Dear Roxanne,

You and your family are in our prayers.. Please keep us updated.

Tricia
 
Didn't see this thread and just posted on another.
Roxanne I am praying for the safe return of your nephew and his friends.
 
thank you everyone!! No news this AM. My BIL is at the Coast Guard station...as far as I know, he's been there all night. It's tough being in Ohio and just waiting.....
 
MomofBoys said:
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, Roxanne! I'm praying for all involved.

I live in Clearwater. Well, Dunedin, actually, but I lived in Clearwater most of my life. Reading comments on articles, etc, these poor guys are getting a lot of criticism for going out in the weather. I think that's not entirely fair, though, because while it was pretty windy, I'm not sure anyone anticipated how windy it ended up getting. We've had 40-45 mph wind speeds over the last 36 hours.

I'm praying they're just out there on a tiny barrier island, or something. Cold, probably, but okay. It's getting pretty extensive coverage here, and I keep checking the news for updates. I'm a huge Bucs fan and of course remember these guys, and does Nick play football for USF? His name sounds familiar, too.
Many prayers.
Click to expand...

Nick was a walkon in the Spring of 2006...went thru camp but left in the Fall of 2006.

THANK YOU for the info from megabitecharters....I'll pass that on to my BIL and SIL.
 
Roxanne said:
It's not looking good, but PLEASE hope for a miracle...one of the missing boaters is my nephew. Nick, hang in there - they are searching all night for you!!
Click to expand...

Roxanne, you and your family are in my prayers.
Please lord find these guys!
 
Prayers going out, especially to Roxanne!

I pray that poster is right and they are huddled up somewhere trying to stay warm!
 
MomofBoys...THANK YOU again for the info. Just wanted you to know that my BIL is contacting George from megabitecharters and he thanks you for posting that info here!!
 
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