The search for the 57-year-old Fort Myers attorney and his 33-year-old nephew continued Sunday after the pair were reported missing Dec. 19 after a fishing trip off the coast of Naples.
The US Coast Guard is leading the search with partner agencies to locate attorney Randall Spivey and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, who were reported missing around 9:00 p.m. Friday. The boat they had used for their journey had been scheduled to return around sunset.
The pair went out on a 42-foot Freeman boat called the “Unstopp-A-Bull,” according to Luis Garcia, watch supervisor for the Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. The Coast Guard found the boat floating upright in the Gulf, about 70 miles off the coast of Naples, with no sign of the missing sailors.
Now, one of the largest searches in Southwest Florida history is underway, with a large community effort behind it.
Here’s what we know so far, as of noon on Sunday, Dec. 21.
Have the missing Florida boats found in Fort Myers? The navigator’s wife provides updates
As of 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier, Florida boaters who went missing Dec. 19 after a fishing trip off the coast of Naples, have not been found, according to Billmaier’s wife, Deborah.
“Updates after speaking with the US Coast Guard this morning,” Deborah Billmaier wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “The EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) was unfortunately still on the boat. They were bottom fishing when the incident occurred (I’m still not sure exactly what happened.)”
The post also noted that several life jackets were not found on the boat, indicating that Spivey and Billmaier may have been wearing them.
Who is involved in the search for the missing Florida boats?
Coast Guard District of St. Petersburg posted news of the search on social media on Saturday morning, December 20.
According to the Facebook post, air and surface crews from agencies and partner agencies US Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach, US Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Coast Guard Air Station Miami and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office are involved.
“Support for the search effort includes an 87-foot boat on the water, a 45-foot boat, a 60-foot helicopter, a 144 plane, 6130 Air Force One from Patrick AFB and a 144 continuing all day (not sure if it’s a boat or a plane),” Deborah Billmaier wrote in her post the next morning.
An urgent marine broadcast was also issued to all vessels in the area to help expand the search area, Billmaier said.
Community steps in to help search for missing Florida boaters
The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated one of the largest search parties in Southwest Florida history early Sunday morning, Dec. 21, beginning at first light, according to Deborah Billmaier, Brandon Billmaier’s wife. In her Facebook post, she asked those with capable vessels to help.
Rep. Florida Peggy Gossett-Seidman shared this post on X.
Erin Shaw Harrel of the SWFL Boaters Facebook group urged people to take to the water Saturday to look for the missing boaters, providing these coordinates for the search: 25-51.67N 083-12.16W.
Brent Stokes, owner of Stokes Marine, also asked for volunteers to help with the search.
According to Stokes, anyone who wants to help with the search can call Tricia Spivey at 239-896-4099 or the US Coast Guard at 727-322-4180.
Who are Randall Spivey, Brandon Billmaier? Florida attorney and nephew missing from Fort Myers
Fort Myers attorney Randy Spivey (pictured) and his nephew Brandon Billmaier went missing off the coast of Naples during a fishing trip on Dec. 19.
Attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, were reported missing around 9:00 p.m. on Friday, December 19.
Tricia Spivey reported her husband and grandson missing Friday night, said Luis Garcia, watch supervisor for Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. “They wanted to fish about 102 miles offshore.”
Spivey is a white male, 6’1″, 245 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark shirt, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Billmaier is a white male, 6’2″, 250 pounds, with strawberry hair and brown eyes.
Where was the missing fisherman’s boat found?
The pair went out on a 42-foot Freeman boat called the “Unstopp-A-Bull,” Garcia said. The Coast Guard later found the boat floating upright in the Gulf, about 70 miles off the coast of Naples, but there was no sign of the missing sailors.
Tricia Spivey says GPS coordinates from the boat’s tracker led them to that location near Marco Island and Flamingo. That’s where the search was focused.
The Coast Guard found a 42-foot Freeman boat, called the “Unstopp-A-Bull,” floating upright in the Gulf, but with no sign of missing attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew, 33-year-old Brandon Billmaier.
Where to call with information, help with finding missing Florida boaters
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating Spivey and Billmaier.
If anyone knows the pair’s whereabouts, they can call 911, if necessary, or call the sheriff’s office at 477-1000. To remain anonymous, you can also call SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
This article originally appeared on the Fort Myers News-Press: Search continues in Florida.