3 NFL players are missing in a boat off of Florida: Photo post #37 [Archive]

akhhorus

03-01-2009, 11:02 AM

Link (http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Coast-Guard-searching-for-missing-boat-with-NFL/LLFh0Ac2cECnkSanyO4BZA.cspx)

fishing boat about 50 miles off-shore in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to Coast Guard officials, the 21-foot fishing boat left from a boat ramp in Clearwater Pass Saturday about 6:30 am with 4 people on board.

A dispatcher told ABC Action News 3 of them are NFL players. One of the plays for the Detroit Lions, and one plays for the Oakland Raiders, the dispatcher said.

The boaters were supposed to return sometime after dark but never did, officials said. A friend called the Coast Guard at about 1:30 am and reported them missing.

Officials say the waters in the gulf are extremely choppy and they believe the boat is in distress.

Lets hope/pray that its just a broken motor and radio.

NCskinsfanatic

03-01-2009, 11:48 AM

Link (http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Coast-Guard-searching-for-missing-boat-with-NFL/LLFh0Ac2cECnkSanyO4BZA.cspx)

Lets hope/pray that its just a broken motor and radio.

Just read that on PFT, I hope everyone's ok.

shally

03-01-2009, 11:59 AM

hope it ends well for all.. scary stuff

CarMike

03-01-2009, 02:39 PM

LINK (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3943945&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines)

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.

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 motor-life 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."
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.
Eric, hate to hear the news about an ex-Wolfpacker.

Hope all are found. But, knowing the conditions of the Atlantic and being apart of these type searches, it doesn't look good for all people involved.

NCskinsfanatic

03-01-2009, 02:50 PM

LINK (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3943945&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines)

Eric, hate to hear the news about an ex-Wolfpacker.

Hope all are found. But, knowing the conditions of the Atlantic and being apart of these type searches, it doesn't look good for all people involved.

Thanks Mike, I just hate it for those guys and their families regardless of their collegiate affiliation. Im praying for their safe return...

CarMike

03-01-2009, 04:45 PM

Thanks Mike, I just hate it for those guys and their families regardless of their collegiate affiliation. Im praying for their safe return...

At this point, I'd be happy if they found anything. Doing search paterns in the Atlantic can be miserable. The longer they aren't found, the less likely they will ever be found.

shally

03-01-2009, 05:06 PM

At this point, I'd be happy if they found anything. Doing search paterns in the Atlantic can be miserable. The longer they aren't found, the less likely they will ever be found.

clearwater is on the gulf side of florida (unless it is a similar named pass onthe east side).. the gulf is usually easier in open water, but there are a ton of coves and inlets there..

CarMike

03-01-2009, 05:19 PM

clearwater is on the gulf side of florida (unless it is a similar named pass onthe east side).. the gulf is usually easier in open water, but there are a ton of coves and inlets there..

You are right shally. I just reread an article and realized my mistake. Yet, being out in open water is just as bad if the weather is good or bad. '22 boat will be very hard to locate. Hopefully a good sam will come across them and help out. [If indeed it's a dead battery or engine problems w/no coms]

shally

03-01-2009, 05:23 PM

You are right shally. I just reread an article and realized my mistake. Yet, being out in open water is just as bad if the weather is good or bad. '22 boat will be very hard to locate. Hopefully a good sam will come across them and help out. [If indeed it's a dead battery or engine problems w/no coms]

cant tell you how many times i was towed in when i had a boat... hard to believe someone didnt have some device with a GPS ? even a cel phone should be trackable, unless it sank.. that is worrisome, now that i think about it...

CarMike

03-01-2009, 06:31 PM

cant tell you how many times i was towed in when i had a boat... hard to believe someone didnt have some device with a GPS ? even a cel phone should be trackable, unless it sank.. that is worrisome, now that i think about it...

Hopefully their boat had an EPIRB on board. Emergency Positioning Indicator Radio Beacon. If they did lose coms and are stranded without power, the EPIRB is still able to send a distress signal out to the Coast Guard to get their position. If they haven't received the signal yet, its probably not good news. Or they simply don't have one onboard.

akhhorus

03-01-2009, 06:38 PM

Hopefully their boat had an EPIRB on board. Emergency Positioning Indicator Radio Beacon. If they did lose coms and are stranded without power, the EPIRB is still able to send a distress signal out to the Coast Guard to get their position. If they haven't received the signal yet, its probably not good news. Or they simply don't have one onboard.

They had thing on ESPN about the incident, and said that the boat they took out was extremely hard to sink because of extra foam inside the boat. We'll see, I doubt we'll ever know.

shally

03-01-2009, 06:59 PM

They had thing on ESPN about the incident, and said that the boat they took out was extremely hard to sink because of extra foam inside the boat. We'll see, I doubt we'll ever know.

some of the boston whalers are like that.. i have seen ads with the boat cut into 3 pieces and all are floating.. problem is that if they are in the water, it doesnt help..
prayers for their survival

smoak

03-01-2009, 07:17 PM

Thanks Mike, I just hate it for those guys and their families regardless of their collegiate affiliation. Im praying for their safe return...

Absolutely agree!! I'm actually a little scared to read through the thread b/c it sounds ominous.

CarMike

03-01-2009, 08:32 PM

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

A good link to keep up with the latest news on the search.

WarEagle

03-01-2009, 09:05 PM

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

A good link to keep up with the latest news on the search.

Thanks for that link. Here's the kind of boat they were on:

http://www.evergladesboats.com/boats/210cc.php

Looks really dinky. Hope the Coast Guard finds them.

CarMike

03-01-2009, 09:26 PM

There is no way in hell I'd be 50 miles out in the ocean on a boat that small. But if you don't any better, I guess it's understandable.

akhhorus

03-01-2009, 10:07 PM

The search has been called off. RIP.

skinsfan36

03-01-2009, 10:09 PM

The search has been called off. RIP.

thats terrible news.condolences to their families

BurgundyNGold

03-01-2009, 10:17 PM

The search has been called off. RIP.
WTH? They've only been missing for 24 hours, no? That's a pretty crappy rescue effort.

akhhorus

03-01-2009, 10:20 PM

WTH? They've only been missing for 24 hours, no? That's a pretty crappy rescue effort.

They weren't in a pretty large search area. 750 square miles, and they had 3 choppers, a Coast guard cutter, another boat and a C-130 searching for them.

BurgundyNGold

03-01-2009, 10:26 PM

They weren't in a pretty large search area. 750 square miles, and they had 3 choppers, a Coast guard cutter, another boat and a C-130 searching for them.
More reason to keep searching, IMO. All of those boats have to maintain life preservers which can keep you afloat for a long time. Most seafaring boats also have inflatable emergency rafts.

I have to say, I don't understand why boats aren't required to have lo jack type location devices either. Planes have to have them, it would seem logical that seafaring boats have them, as well.

akhhorus

03-01-2009, 10:29 PM

More reason to keep searching, IMO. All of those boats have to maintain life preservers which can keep you afloat for a long time. Most seafaring boats also have inflatable emergency rafts.

They went out before dawn saturday morning, and there's been no sign of them or distress call since then in 13 foot seas in a 22 foot boat. Even if they were drifting in the current in a boat that was disabled, they couldn't have gone that far.

I have to say, I don't understand why boats aren't required to have lo jack type location devices either. Planes have to have them, it would seem logical that seafaring boats have them, as well.

Agreed

shally

03-01-2009, 10:35 PM

There is no way in hell I'd be 50 miles out in the ocean on a boat that small. But if you don't any better, I guess it's understandable.

when i lived in louisiana, i was utterly amazed at the boats some people took out into the open gulf.. it is one thing to poke around in bayous and inshore waterways, it is quite another to head out into deep water.. you can get in trouble so quickly, and weather can change and come up on you so suddenly that even getting to shore, or to an area where wind driven waves cant capsize you is a challenge..plus, so many people think that life vests arent needed...

Biggie

03-01-2009, 10:35 PM

Rest in peace. God Bless them and their families.

BurgundyNGold

03-01-2009, 10:36 PM

Rest in peace. God Bless them and their families.
+1

But I still hope they're found.

shally

03-01-2009, 10:38 PM

+1

But I still hope they're found.

if they were wearing vests, they have a chance.. stilll

BurgundyNGold

03-01-2009, 11:04 PM

if they were wearing vests, they have a chance.. stilll
For a while, at least. If there is any good news it's that they're gulf side. The water is usually warmer on that side so there should be be less chance of hypothermia (which can set in even with water at 60 degrees).

Hopefully, they have a life raft. Sadly, I don't think so. If they had time to inflate that, they likely would have tried to use their cell phones in the interim.

WarEagle

03-01-2009, 11:33 PM

This report from Tampa says the Coast Guard will continue to search throughout the night. Air Force to get involved.

http://www.tampabays10.com/

They're all jocks, so they're in great physical shape. I hope they're wearing life vests that feature the blinking light. Maybe a CG aircraft can spot them with that night vision.

akhhorus

03-02-2009, 11:36 AM

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/article980435.ece

Coast Guard finds the boat with one of the missing people clinging to it.

shoogknight

03-02-2009, 11:59 AM

More reason to keep searching, IMO. All of those boats have to maintain life preservers which can keep you afloat for a long time. Most seafaring boats also have inflatable emergency rafts.

I have to say, I don't understand why boats aren't required to have lo jack type location devices either. Planes have to have them, it would seem logical that seafaring boats have them, as well.

They do make something called an EPIRB.

Anyways, it is a handheld device that can be manually activated if you are in trouble and your radio fails. It sends a signal that the Coast Guard picks up automatically, and can track very quickly.

These devices are relatively inexpensive (few hundred bucks) and absolutely necessary if you are going offshore.

I believe they even make a fancier version that activates if it hits the water.

They should have had one!!!!

CarMike

03-02-2009, 12:32 PM

LINK (http://www.freep.com/article/20090302/SPORTS01/90302030/Boat+found+off+Florida+coast+with+man+clinging+to+ side)
family member tells WTSP-TV that the Coast Guard has found a fishing boat that was carrying two NFL players and two other men.

The St. Petersburg Times is reporting a person was found clinging to the side. A cousin of Marquis Cooper told the newspaper the man found was Nick Schuyler.

Schuyler told authorities that when he last saw the others on the boat they were wearing life jackets, WTSP-TV reported.
That's good news.

hogs86

03-02-2009, 02:07 PM

I just read that they found a 2nd person. But PFT is down again so i do not have a link.

hogs86

03-02-2009, 02:20 PM

ok this is it.

REPORT: MARQUIS COOPER FOUND ALIVE
Posted by Mike Florio on March 2, 2009, 2:51 p.m.
Monday is a day of miracles on the Gulf Coast — two have occurred, and there are two to go.

After Nick Schulyer was found clinging to the overturned hull of the 21-foot fishing boat lost at sea on Saturday, there’s a report that Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper has been found alive.

There’s still no work on Lions defensive end Corey Smith or William Bleakley.

Schuyler reportedly is in serious condition at Tampa General Hospital. He told his mother that he survived by telling himself that she would not be attending his funeral.

Link http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/

JasonCampbell

03-02-2009, 03:09 PM

Unfortunately, not so fast :(

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/02/report-of-coopers-discovery-is-withdrawn/

CarMike

03-02-2009, 10:45 PM

Unfortunately, not so fast :(

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/02/report-of-coopers-discovery-is-withdrawn/

Damn. Talk about a emotional rollercoaster.

RedskinsDave

03-02-2009, 11:08 PM

You know, when PFT missed badly on trade rumors that's one thing. This is simply despicable.

CarMike

03-02-2009, 11:28 PM

Picture of Schuyler being rescued.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/CarMike24/foundalive.jpg

shally

03-02-2009, 11:29 PM

Picture of Schuyler being rescued.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/CarMike24/foundalive.jpg

looks mighty open out there..cant even see any structure in the distance in that pic

nicefellow31

03-02-2009, 11:36 PM

Picture of Schuyler being rescued.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h191/CarMike24/foundalive.jpg

Wow that shot is amazing. I'm thinking it is going to take a miracle to find the other 3 guys but there is always hope and prayers.

CarMike

03-02-2009, 11:38 PM

What I don't get is why did the other three not stay near the boat? Schuyler says that the last time he saw the other three they were wearing life jackets. How did they get seperated? I guess it's possible they capsized at night and current swept the other three away. But that doesn't make a lot of sense.

nicefellow31

03-03-2009, 12:08 AM

WarEagle

03-03-2009, 02:01 AM

37 degress in Tampa right now. (3AM eastern time) I assume that's freakishly low.

BurgundyNGold

03-03-2009, 07:44 AM

37 degress in Tampa right now. (3AM eastern time) I assume that's freakishly low.
It's the water temps that matter most. These temps don't look too bad but 3 days afloat is a lot to ask.

http://www.weather.com/maps/activity/boatbeach/floridacoastalwatertemperatures_large.html?clip=un defined&region=undefined&collection=localwxforecast&presname=undefined

nicefellow31

03-03-2009, 05:07 PM

Well the Coast Guard is calling off the search at 6:30 P.M.

NCskinsfanatic

03-03-2009, 05:10 PM

Very sad ending to a story that was looking up after finding the boat. God bless them and their families...RIP guys.

shally

03-03-2009, 06:14 PM

Very sad ending to a story that was looking up after finding the boat. God bless them and their families...RIP guys.

so sad...

RIP

HAWGZHEAD

03-03-2009, 06:22 PM

It's the water temps that matter most. These temps don't look too bad but 3 days afloat is a lot to ask.

http://www.weather.com/maps/activity/boatbeach/floridacoastalwatertemperatures_large.html?clip=un defined&region=undefined&collection=localwxforecast&presname=undefined
In water around or just under 70 you have 2 days tops. Around 60 your time drops dramatically.

BurgundyNGold

03-03-2009, 06:24 PM

In water around or just under 70 you have 2 days tops. Around 60 your time drops dramatically.
Yeah, once it reached 3 days, I realized that it didn't look very good. I hope they find them for their families' sake.

HAWGZHEAD

03-03-2009, 06:29 PM

Yeah, once it reached 3 days, I realized that it didn't look very good. I hope they find them for their families' sake.Me too. Don't know how much the survivor would know with likely exhaustion and confusion. Possible they couldn't get out of the boat if it has a cabin.

BurgundyNGold

03-03-2009, 06:33 PM

Me too. Don't know how much the survivor would know with likely exhaustion and confusion. Possible they couldn't get out of the boat if it has a cabin.
Yeah, but they likely would have found one or more of the others below deck when they found the boat, no?

HAWGZHEAD

03-03-2009, 06:39 PM

Yeah, but they likely would have found one or more of the others below deck when they found the boat, no?
Probably right unless they just refrained from releasing that info to the public due to family request or something. Then again they wouldn't keep the search going just for appearances so yeah.

BurgundyNGold

03-03-2009, 06:46 PM

Probably right unless they just refrained from releasing that info to the public due to family request or something. Then again they wouldn't keep the search going just for appearances so yeah.
I'm really disappointed in the Coast Guard. After finding the boat (a day late) they had a really narrow search cone to continue with. If they factored in current maps and prevailing wind, they could have refined the higher percentage search locations even further. They should have found those guys.

HAWGZHEAD

03-03-2009, 06:53 PM

I'm really disappointed in the Coast Guard. After finding the boat (a day late) they had a really narrow search cone to continue with. If they factored in current maps and prevailing wind, they could have refined the higher percentage search locations even further. They should have found those guys.Its sad they couldn't locate the boat faster. Whether they indeed were wearing life vests and the possibility of predators in that water down there would factor in. The timing of the discovery of the boat cost them them dearly.

As far as the size of the boat, that one isn't much smaller if at all than alot of sport fishing boats. I have been out to the gulf here in a boat that size more than once, always with an experienced captain though.

BurgundyNGold

03-03-2009, 06:57 PM

Its sad they couldn't locate the boat faster. Whether they indeed were wearing life vests and the possibility of predators in that water down there would factor in. The timing of the discovery of the boat cost them them dearly.

As far as the size of the boat, that one isn't much smaller if at all than alot of sport fishing boats. I have been out to the gulf here in a boat that size more than once, always with an experienced captain though.
What was it, 22'? That's just about the minimum I would even think about on the ocean and definitely not for long trips far out.

skinsfan36

03-03-2009, 06:59 PM

terrible news may they rip. my prayers go out to their families

WarEagle

03-03-2009, 07:00 PM

I'm really disappointed in the Coast Guard. After finding the boat (a day late) they had a really narrow search cone to continue with. If they factored in current maps and prevailing wind, they could have refined the higher percentage search locations even further. They should have found those guys.

I'm sure the Coast Guard's response will be evaluated for a long time. To me, they seemed a little slow to get the Air Force's help.
The CG captain said if they were alive, the CG would've found them already. That's a pretty definitive statement, and I don't think I've ever heard the CG issue something like that.

One of the dad's said that the players went out last week, too, and had a blast. I'll bet the Gulf was smooth as glass last week. There are many lessons to be learned from this tragedy.

HAWGZHEAD

03-03-2009, 07:02 PM

What was it, 22'? That's just about the minimum I would even think about on the ocean and definitely not for long trips far out.From the link on pg 1 it was around that size, 20' to 22'. I have some friends that sport fish and they have 27's but I have been out in a 20 before.

CarMike

03-03-2009, 10:50 PM

I'm really disappointed in the Coast Guard. After finding the boat (a day late) they had a really narrow search cone to continue with. If they factored in current maps and prevailing wind, they could have refined the higher percentage search locations even further. They should have found those guys.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you BNG. I've been involved with these type of searches. No one realizes how hard it is to find a missing person [PIW]. You cannot go by winds and currents to find people missing in the water. If only it was that easy everybody would be found.

Not sure if they still do, but back when I was in the CG, we had a saying about the public boater. They don't respect what we do till they need us. I can't tell you how many times we would stop a boater to do a safety check and they get so upset that we were ruining their day out of the Bay.

And I can't tell you how many people thanked us after we either towed them to safety, saved their boat sinking, or found a loved one that was missing.

shally

03-03-2009, 11:22 PM

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you BNG. I've been involved with these type of searches. No one realizes how hard it is to find a missing person [PIW]. You cannot go by winds and currents to find people missing in the water. If only it was that easy everybody would be found.

Not sure if they still do, but back when I was in the CG, we had a saying about the public boater. They don't respect what we do till they need us. I can't tell you how many times we would stop a boater to do a safety check and they get so upset that we were ruining their day out of the Bay.

And I can't tell you how many people thanked us after we either towed them to safety, saved their boat sinking, or found a loved one that was missing.

let me tell you my feelings for the CG:

IF THERE IS ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MY HEROES DURING AND AFTER KATRINA, IT IS THE COAST GUARD

nobody knows how many lives they saved. nobody knows how many people they pulled off roofs. nobody knows how long they worked running mission after mission. their professionalism and tireless work ethic is what is best about our uniformed services. i offer my personal thanks for a job well done !!

God watch over you all always the way you watched over my city in time of desperate need. you are our best and brightest

BurgundyNGold

03-04-2009, 03:10 AM

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you BNG. I've been involved with these type of searches. No one realizes how hard it is to find a missing person [PIW]. You cannot go by winds and currents to find people missing in the water. If only it was that easy everybody would be found.

Not sure if they still do, but back when I was in the CG, we had a saying about the public boater. They don't respect what we do till they need us. I can't tell you how many times we would stop a boater to do a safety check and they get so upset that we were ruining their day out of the Bay.

And I can't tell you how many people thanked us after we either towed them to safety, saved their boat sinking, or found a loved one that was missing.
We're not talking about finding OBL here, ducking in and out of caves in Nowhere Land. No offense, CarMike, but if the CG can't find 1 boat in 2 days when they have a pretty good idea where they are, it shakes my confidence in the CG ability to stop drug and human trafficking in any significant way and it makes me ask questions about their resources and their ability to achieve their mission.

Don't get me wrong, it is definitely the fault of the captain of that boat. And there is a long human history of belittling the powers of the sea (and nature, in general) until it is tossing you around like a rag doll. I just can't see how they still haven't found the other 3 people. They'll be floating for a good while if they still have their life preservers on.

smoak

03-04-2009, 06:30 AM

We're not talking about finding OBL here, ducking in and out of caves in Nowhere Land. No offense, CarMike, but if the CG can't find 1 boat in 2 days when they have a pretty good idea where they are, it shakes my confidence in the CG ability to stop drug and human trafficking in any significant way and it makes me ask questions about their resources and their ability to achieve their mission.

Don't get me wrong, it is definitely the fault of the captain of that boat. And there is a long human history of belittling the powers of the sea (and nature, in general) until it is tossing you around like a rag doll. I just can't see how they still haven't found the other 3 people. They'll be floating for a good while if they still have their life preservers on.

That is a BIG if, and I am with CM in that I believe it is more difficult than we would think.... That said, I wouldn't want to CG to stop looking if it was my family.

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

03-04-2009, 07:13 AM

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

03-04-2009, 07:31 AM

RIP fellas!you just got to have more respect for mother nature than to go out in such a crappy boat.

BurgundyNGold

03-04-2009, 10:34 AM

i'm sure nobody would have wanted to find those guys worse than the coast guard,and it's assinine to blame it on them.we'll never know what happened i bet.sharks and many other predators could have grabbed those guys and consumed them in seconds.i think they were all idiots to go out that far in the gulf of mexico in such a small boat.and when the sea is rough enough to flip an anchored boat,you better believe they would have had forwarning as to how rough the sea was.they should have called the CG right then.i blame this on human ignorance and mother nature being mother nature,not the us coast guard.
Nobody is blaming the CG for what happened on that boat. However, it is not unreasonable to expect them to find people lost at sea. That's part of their mission. In the end, questions will (and should) be asked about this exercise and lessons will be learned.

Assuming they were eaten by sharks is what's asinine. There are only around 65 shark attacks in the whole world every year. There was probably a better chance that they were struck by lightning (400 people each year) out there on the water.

nicefellow31

03-04-2009, 12:09 PM

We're not talking about finding OBL here, ducking in and out of caves in Nowhere Land. No offense, CarMike, but if the CG can't find 1 boat in 2 days when they have a pretty good idea where they are, it shakes my confidence in the CG ability to stop drug and human trafficking in any significant way and it makes me ask questions about their resources and their ability to achieve their mission.

Don't get me wrong, it is definitely the fault of the captain of that boat. And there is a long human history of belittling the powers of the sea (and nature, in general) until it is tossing you around like a rag doll. I just can't see how they still haven't found the other 3 people. They'll be floating for a good while if they still have their life preservers on.

I have a little experience working Air Force Search and Rescue and trying to find anybody lost at sea, especially a person in the water, is extremely difficult. Once those gentleman became seperated from the boat, their chances of being found decreased significantly. Also, according to authorities, the boat had been capsized at least 8 hours before they got the call that their may be a problem. Time is a significat factor.

dj_stouty

03-04-2009, 12:37 PM

Very sad.

This story is getting a lot of attention down here, as Corey Simon went to high school here in Richmond.

RIP

oldskinfan

03-04-2009, 12:40 PM

Patrick

03-04-2009, 12:59 PM

Seems they found a life vest and cooler (from same boat?) so size of item does not matter. What I wonder is, *if* the other 3 managed to get their life vests on, why wouldn't you be able to locate them floating on the water?

Does the reduced boyancy of a deceased person cause them to sink despite wearing a vest?

This was a horrible accident, but I hope it saves lives in the future and has people scrambling for their PFD's as soon as weather starts getting ugly. Also says you better have damn good emergency beacon equipment and life vests w/ flashing strobes if going out 50 miles on a 22-footer.

Being around water/boating all my life I can tell you right now this is the fault of the so "Captain" of the boat. I admit I don't know all the facts but this sounds too much I an inexperienced boat ower who ignored weather and sea conditions. I agree it's sad but it happens way too often. Guys buy a boat and think they know everything there is about seamanship.

akhhorus

03-04-2009, 01:12 PM

The chilling account of the survivor (http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/04/report-the-three-missing-boaters-took-off-their-life-vests/)

BurgundyNGold

03-04-2009, 01:31 PM

The chilling account of the survivor (http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/04/report-the-three-missing-boaters-took-off-their-life-vests/)
That account leads to more questions than answers. I don't understand why the first 2 guys would just push themselves off into the water after being in the water less than 8 hours or so after the boat flipped.

nicefellow31

03-04-2009, 01:45 PM

That account leads to more questions than answers. I don't understand why the first 2 guys would just push themselves off into the water after being in the water less than 8 hours or so after the boat flipped.

From what I have read, you can get delusional when suffering from hypothermia. During WWII, there were stories of guys jumping off of life rafts because they gave up hope. Hard to explain.

BurgundyNGold

03-04-2009, 01:49 PM

From what I have read, you can get delusional when suffering from hypothermia. During WWII, there were stories of guys jumping off of life rafts because they gave up hope. Hard to explain.
After 4 hours? If hope were so fleeting, this message board would have closed down in 1997.

nicefellow31

03-04-2009, 01:58 PM

After 4 hours? If hope were so fleeting, this message board would have closed down in 1997.

Ha Ha. You are right. Check out this link and browse down to the chart where it talks about the effects of hypothermia.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090304/SPORTS01/903040311/1048/sports/Lions+mourn+loss+of+free+agent+Corey+Smith++2+frie nds

shally

03-04-2009, 02:09 PM

BurgundyNGold

03-04-2009, 03:21 PM

Ha Ha. You are right. Check out this link and browse down to the chart where it talks about the effects of hypothermia.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090304/SPORTS01/903040311/1048/sports/Lions+mourn+loss+of+free+agent+Corey+Smith++2+frie nds
Those guys were professional athletes, so you have to think they would be at the top of that scale.

And just to be devil's advocate, wasn't the boat floating when they found it? Why not get on top the hull of the boat? I guess I have more questions than there are answers right now.

shally

03-04-2009, 03:35 PM

Those guys were professional athletes, so you have to think they would be at the top of that scale.

And just to be devil's advocate, wasn't the boat floating when they found it? Why not get on top the hull of the boat? I guess I have more questions than there are answers right now.

it was floating, but looked partially submerged.. also, slick as hell and likely impossible to hold onto along the keel or bottom of the hull.. no handholds there..

i cant imagine the dispair they must have felt during that ordeal. despite the conditioning, they were out of their natural element and exhaution happens quickly when it is associated with hyperventilation and panic.
lots of stories of guys who got so excited before a game that they were spent by the first quarter... more so in a situation like this..

AGibbsGirl

03-04-2009, 04:06 PM

I am so sad about this story, but I tell you what, Bleakley was a big time hero IMO-swimming under the boat and getting the life jackets, and then thinking he could swim toward the light on shore for help...

These guys battled rough seas, hypothermia and dehydration. It sounds as if they withstood it as long as they could because of their excellent physical condition, but it must have just overcome them in the end. I feel so sorry for their families.

PS: I'd like some explanation on that helicopter with the light?????

oldskinfan

03-04-2009, 04:56 PM

Well the survivor account clears up two things:
- They are most *definitely* dead
- Bodies probably sank and not likely to be found

MONK_in_HOF

03-04-2009, 08:46 PM

Can't imagine what those guys went through. I thought the movie Open Water was intense enough and that was just a movie. I couldn't imagine having to try and survive that type of situation in real life.

At least the account from the survivor should give the families some closure.

CarMike

03-05-2009, 07:02 AM

IMO, until you have stepped in the shoes of a Coast Guardsman, you should not pass judgement. People just don't understand how hard it is to see someone one in the water. Depth perception and such is distorted and all you can see is the upper 1/4 of a persons body. There's a reason they teach people to stay together in you happen to find yourself in that situation. Much easier to find a group of people in the water than it is to find one or two.

There is so much more involved that people don't know about that goes into a search. And I can promise you that besides the loved ones of the victims, the CG was wanting to find the missing boaters the most.

CarMike

03-05-2009, 07:26 AM

What I wonder is, *if* the other 3 managed to get their life vests on, why wouldn't you be able to locate them floating on the water?

Also says you better have damn good emergency beacon equipment and life vests w/ flashing strobes if going out 50 miles on a 22-footer.
If they were able to stay together, yes. It's much, much easier to see a group of people than it is to find 3 seperated people.

IMO, every boat that goes 5+ miles should have a EPIRB onboard of a boat. Perhaps every boat should come equipped with one just like airplains have the black box.

Also, boat crews in the CG have to wear PFD's plus a vest with 7 pencil flares, strobe light, a mirror, glow sticks, and a whistle. Can't think of anything else. All boats should come with those safety equipment as well. Just like all boats come with a fire extinguisher.

That account leads to more questions than answers. I don't understand why the first 2 guys would just push themselves off into the water after being in the water less than 8 hours or so after the boat flipped.
As I said earlier. Depth perception is distorted at sea. What looks to be 2 miles could as far as 9 miles. Also, if the players are not very good swimmers or don't like the situation they are in, the mind will do crazy things. I have been involved in search and rescues where people thought they were only 2 miles from shore so they tried to swim for it. But with currents and such, they never would have made it to shore. Luckily for them, we found them in time. I've also been involved with pulling dead bodies out of the water who didn't make the swim and died of hypothermia.
Those guys were professional athletes, so you have to think they would be at the top of that scale.

And just to be devil's advocate, wasn't the boat floating when they found it? Why not get on top the hull of the boat? I guess I have more questions than there are answers right now.
As someone else mentioned, the boat was 22 feet long. But the hull was probably around 12' to 15' long. and most of that was submerged as well. When you have 4 guys who current or former football players, probably didn't leave much room for everyone to fit. Plus, the hull is slippery when wet.

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

03-05-2009, 07:55 AM

i would never pass judgement on the coast guard because i sure as hell don't know what it's like to search an endless body of water for blips of orange in the water.this was not the fault of the CG or the guys in the boat,
this was mother nature being mother nature.i do think the guys were stupid to go out in such a crappy boat however.it does'nt matter now,all we can do is say RIP and pray for the families to learn to live with it cause they will never get over it!i just hope people learn that you don't go out that far into the gulf of mexico during a storm in such a dingy boat.

BurgundyNGold

03-05-2009, 09:00 AM

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

03-05-2009, 09:35 AM

You don't know what it's like to play pro football but that hasn't stopped you from passing judgment on that. This is a message board. Passing judgment is what we do.

well it does'nt stop you either,unless you are a pro player in drag.
i have played sports,never at a pro level,but there is a huge difference than playing sports and rescuing ssomebody and coming to their aid on the daily
basis the coast guard,armed forces,and LEOS do is'nt it?
i also have spent a lot of time in my 46 years in the ocean,many lakes,and rivers.i know how hard it can be to find a body in all of them too.do you?
i know 4 or 5 people who drowned up here in our lake who's bodies have never been found despite 5 day searches.some have never been found,and this is on a 150 mile lake shoreline.you pass judgement on them,me, or whomever,but you have no clue about it either in the end do you?

BurgundyNGold

03-05-2009, 12:56 PM

well it does'nt stop you either,unless you are a pro player in drag.
i have played sports,never at a pro level,but there is a huge difference than playing sports and rescuing ssomebody and coming to their aid on the daily
basis the coast guard,armed forces,and LEOS do is'nt it?
i also have spent a lot of time in my 46 years in the ocean,many lakes,and rivers.i know how hard it can be to find a body in all of them too.do you?
i know 4 or 5 people who drowned up here in our lake who's bodies have never been found despite 5 day searches.some have never been found,and this is on a 150 mile lake shoreline.you pass judgement on them,me, or whomever,but you have no clue about it either in the end do you?
You've made it 46 years without managing to immolate yourself?

Congrats.

You've spent a good deal of time on the water and have been in the military.

Who hasn't?

Unless you've spent time in the Gulf looking for bodies, you don't have any more perspective on what the CG does or should have done than do I. And we're both entitled to our opinions. But, please, continue to wave your CG flag and tell us more about how we should accept not finding people when it is the job of specific ones of us to do just that. It's that kind of attitude that will ensure that the next set of capsized boaters aren't found either.

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

03-05-2009, 01:49 PM

you are the one who tried to turn this into a pissing contest here,not me.i applaud all the military because 1 they all volunteer,and 2 they let us have our lives here in freedom.do you think the CS did'nt even try to find these guys,and can you blame them for halting the search when the survivor said the other guys gave up,took off their vests and said they were gonna die?
if i ever get tired of waving my CG flag,i'll find you i know you got the perfect place for me to stick don't you?and you are right,we both have opinions and are'nt really sure of CGtactics,i give them the benefit of the doubt,you just critisize!

BurgundyNGold

03-05-2009, 01:52 PM

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

03-05-2009, 02:05 PM

I appreciate their efforts. But they failed. End of story.

I also appreciate America's teachers, but I can call them out for failing on you so miserably. That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate what they try to do

they did their best,if you could do better,you should have went down and helped them.
i support the great jobs priests,lawyers,and judges do,and parole officers
but when it came to you they must have had their hands full keeping you out of jail i bet!
anyway,i don't wish to fight or argue with you.i came here to talk football,not anything else so i'll call this even if you will.

dj_stouty

03-05-2009, 02:25 PM

I guess 8 straight hours of holding onto a boat in choppy water can really get to someone. I couldn't imagine dropping the vest and essentially taking my own life; but the circumstances must have been rough.

And being that I am one of the 3 dozen people who actually watched Open Water 2; I know it is not as easy as you think to go from neck deep in water and then propel yourself into to a boat without a place to stick your feet/arms. You have zero leverage and no where to push off...

BIGREDSKINSFAN1963

03-06-2009, 01:39 PM

i saw a doctor on tv this morning who said that when hypothermia sets in that the thought of dying becomes a relief and people just will themselves to die.they were out in the water at least50 or 55 hours so that's probably what happened.sharks and other ocean creatures had to scavenge their bodies one would think.can the bodies sink?i always thought that they could'nt due to bacteria buildup in your stomach after death.