March 2, 200917 yr http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/01/florida.missing.boaters/index.html CLEARWATER, Florida (CNN) -- Two NFL players were among four boaters missing Sunday off Florida's Gulf Coast, an agent for one of the players said. 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...
March 2, 200917 yr It is really starting to look bad for them. I read this morning that they were on a 21-foot "party boat" that had no business being out as far as they think they were. Coast Guard officials said the waves could have knocked them over, or the combined 1000 lbs of passengers could have caused balance problems in the boat.
March 2, 200917 yr Author I'm all for enjoying life and having fun if you have the means to do so, but you still have to use common sense.
March 2, 200917 yr If they weren't back in port by dark, my bet is that they had engine problems. Saturday night and Sunday was mess here, weather wise. I was over near the coast (in Seminole) working Saturday night, and the wind started getting nasty right after midnight. I had to fight with the car crossing the Howard Franklin Bridge (I-275) going home Sunday morning around 12:30 am. Sunday afternoon, it was worse as I went back, with waves breaking over the barriers on the bridge causway. That bridge is on the interior of the Bay, so I can imagine the swells out in the Gulf.
March 2, 200917 yr Did anyone watch the interview with one of the missing player's wife on ESPN just a moment ago? I would imagine she would be very distraught about the situation but, to my amazement, she was very calm about it. What made me kind of mad though was as she was doing the interview with ESPN answering questions, it seemed like she was about to laugh any second and that troubles me. Your husband is lost at sea and you are about to laugh in a situation like this? Makes me wonder...
March 2, 200917 yr Did anyone watch the interview with one of the missing player's wife on ESPN just a moment ago? I would imagine she would be very distraught about the situation but, to my amazement, she was very calm about it. What made me kind of mad though was as she was doing the interview with ESPN answering questions, it seemed like she was about to laugh any second and that troubles me. Your husband is lost at see and you are about to laugh in a situation like this? Makes me wonder... Life insurance may have made her less uneasy....just sayin'.
March 2, 200917 yr Fox News is reporting that the boat has been found and one of the 4 men on board was clinging to the overturned boat. The Coast Guard are searching for the other 3. Nick Schuyler is identified as the one clinging to the boat. The other 3 were wearing life jackets. No link on the Fox News website yet.
March 2, 200917 yr The survivor said that as of 2am this morning all four men were together but got separated somehow. There is video on Fox of the boat in the water.
March 2, 200917 yr Perhaps the other 3 men are still hanging together somehow. I hope so. I would say its fantastic news that they were all close to the boat less than 12 hours ago.
March 3, 200917 yr Really starting to look like the worst now... I try to keep hope for these guys. Things like this are the reason I avoid the open ocean...
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