The search for two men who disappeared from a boat in the middle of the Gulf has now become an FBI missing persons investigation.
After four days missing and three full days of searching, Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, were not found by the many volunteers who assisted the US Coast Guard search mission both by sea and by air.
The search radius covered about 6,700 square miles, which is about the size of the state of Connecticut.
Volunteers from across the southwestern United States joined the search mission, beginning Saturday (Dec. 20) and continuing through Monday, Dec. 22.
The United Cajun Navy, a volunteer-run nonprofit that specializes in lifesaving operations, also deployed an aircraft 100 miles west of Naples around 11 a.m. Monday.
The Coast Guard ultimately decided to suspend its active search efforts after carefully considering all the factors that led to this case, said Capt. Corrie Sergent, commander of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, in a USCG press release.
“There is no more difficult decision than to call off a search. I am incredibly grateful for the crews, partners and volunteers in this community who executed this massive search with the utmost professionalism, perseverance and compassion. We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of Mr. Spivey and Mr. Billmaier during this extremely difficult time,” said Sgt.
The FBI has now taken over the case, classified as a missing person case, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Missing Gulf Batteries: Timeline
Spivey and Billmaier embarked on an early morning fishing trip on Friday, December 19. They were supposed to return that same evening, but by 7:30, neither of their wives had heard from them.
This prompted a call to the Coastguard and at 11pm, a helicopter was deployed to search for the men.
Just over two hours later, the families were notified that Spivey and Billmaier’s boat had been found — a 42-foot Freeman boat called the “Unstopp-A-Bull” — about 70 miles off the coast of Naples. The engine was still running.
However, the men were nowhere to be found.
Two life jackets were missing from the boat, leading family members to believe Spivey and Billmaier might be wearing them.
Search efforts continued over the weekend as volunteers from Florida and surrounding states provided support.
By Monday night, December 22, the Coast Guard was forced to suspend its search.
“While this is heartbreaking, Brandon and Randy would never want anyone else to put their lives in danger, and we know they would want this decision to be respected,” Deborah Billmaier, Brandon Billmaier’s wife, wrote in a Facebook post Monday night.
Who were they?
Spivey was a prominent personal injury attorney in Fort Myers. He is the founder of Spivey Law Firm, where his wife Tricia Spivey is also a personal injury attorney.
“He’s an amazing, amazing man, and he’s dedicated his life to helping other people as a lawyer and helping them in their time of need. And that’s why it’s so heartwarming that so many people are now making efforts to find him,” Tricia Spivey told the News-Press on Saturday, Dec. 20.
She said Spivey and his grandson loved to fish, and her husband had been fishing for more than 30 years.
A Facebook poster, Andrew Abel, remembered Randy’ as a ‘dear friend and mentor’.
“I will never forget how he was there for me whenever I needed and without asking. Randy dropped everything he did to help. Always. Randy supported his family and friends and I am forever grateful that he supported me and allowed me to be a part of his family,” Abel wrote Monday night.
Another poster, Cristina M. Puccio, wrote “Randy has been a beacon of kindness and warmth in my life for many years and I feel truly lucky to have known him.”
Like his uncle, Billmaier was also a personal injury attorney in Boca Raton with the Shiner Law Group.
A statement from Shiner Law Group said: “On behalf of everyone at Shiner Law Group, we are deeply saddened by the passing of Brandon and his uncle, Randy. Brandon is a valued member of our firm and someone I care deeply about, both as a colleague and as a friend. Brandon is an exceptional person and a great attorney, and we are heartbroken.”
Fort Myers attorney Randy Spivey, left, and his nephew, Brandon Billmaier, went missing off the coast of Naples during a Dec. 19 fishing trip.
Billmaier grew up in Michigan and is a graduate of the University of Toledo. Outside of fishing, he enjoys playing pickleball and traveling.
Billmaier also got married last year. Traveling is something the couple did a lot of together. On social media, Deborah Billmaier said they traveled to more than 30 countries.
“Brandon is my best friend, my husband and my greatest love. Every day he showed me what true, unconditional love looks like. We had so many dreams and plans and I am forever grateful for the most beautiful five years we shared together,” wrote Deborah Billmaier on her social media accounts.
One commenter, Megan Schlett, said: “Brandon was meant to be the best man at our wedding and will forever hold that title. There is no one more worthy of that for Sebastian. Brandon was like a brother to Sebastian and we all love Brandon deeply.”
Another commenter, Donna Antonelli, wrote: “Brandon was humble, genuine, sweet, always had a positive attitude and always helped a fellow attorney. He was a true gentleman, which is so rare these days. He will be greatly missed.”
Tayeba Hussein is a breaking news reporter for The News-Press & Naples Daily News. Reach her at such addresses@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on the Fort Myers News-Press: Disappearance of Florida boaters prompts federal FBI investigation