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Coast Guard searching for missing boat w/NFL players aboard (1 Viewer)

21' boat, 50 miles out with 7' seas? I've been fishing in the great lakes in bigger boats than that with 8' swells and it's like being in a washing machine. We were'nt that far out as the capt'n knew the front was coming in. We had to call it a day and head for dock asap. Let's hope for a miracle but this doesn't sound encouraging. :goodposting:

 
ROCKET said:
21' boat, 50 miles out with 7' seas? I've been fishing in the great lakes in bigger boats than that with 8' swells and it's like being in a washing machine. We were'nt that far out as the capt'n knew the front was coming in. We had to call it a day and head for dock asap. Let's hope for a miracle but this doesn't sound encouraging. :cry:
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I dont think some of you guys even read! 1) the search area is 50 miles out. This doesnt mean that they went out on their own 50 miles! IF they had issues though they could be pulled out.2) The seas were not 7' when they left. They left at 6:30 in the AM I expect they thought they would go out for a few hours and come back in. before storms hit Sat night. They had plenty of time to do it. I dont blame them for any of it..
 
The weather was pretty nice yesterday morning. It got nasty late yesterday, and even worse during the night. I hope they had life preservers.

 
Big Daddy Kane said:
fsufan said:
Big Daddy Kane said:
I'm a Michael Bush owner...was kinda hping Darren McFadden was on the boat. Oh well.
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dude :confused:
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This is a fantasy football message board. The intent of this board is to help us win our leagues and give us a forum to discuss changes in our teams. It is important to me to win my dynasty league. Thank you, dude.
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so you were hoping a player would of died so it would help your FF player, WOW
 
fsufan said:
Big Daddy Kane said:
fsufan said:
Big Daddy Kane said:
I'm a Michael Bush owner...was kinda hping Darren McFadden was on the boat. Oh well.
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dude :lmao:
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This is a fantasy football message board. The intent of this board is to help us win our leagues and give us a forum to discuss changes in our teams. It is important to me to win my dynasty league. Thank you, dude.
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so you were hoping a player would of died so it would help your FF player, WOW
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You're easy to bait. BDK is an idiot so you shouldn't attempt to take him seriously. He's trying to get a reaction.........
 
A 21' center console fishing boat is way to small to be out in the Gulf with those ruff conditions.

 
Hoping they find them OK.

Marquis Cooper played at my neighborhood high school and his father is a pretty popular sports anchor for the NBC affiliate here in Phoenix.

 
was hoping to see a somewhat positive post after being away for a bit.

this will be the second night without a word from these guys.

As stated earlier with the lack of response from the NFL network at the top of the hour on this, I'm really surprised the media coverage on this is not more prevelant. I mean we're talking about life and death here.

 
brednbuddah said:
was hoping to see a somewhat positive post after being away for a bit.

this will be the second night without a word from these guys.

As stated earlier with the lack of response from the NFL network at the top of the hour on this, I'm really surprised the media coverage on this is not more prevelant. I mean we're talking about life and death here.
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:(
 
Coast Guard: Lions DE Smith, Raiders LB Cooper among missing boaters

March 1, 2009

CBSSports.com wire reports

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Coast Guard searched 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, a defensive end for the Detroit Lions, and Cooper, an Oakland Raiders linebacker, 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 an 87-foot ship 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.

Close said the men were traveling in a boat manufactured by Everglades. At least one of the men was an experienced boater, and relatives provided the Coast Guard with GPS coordinates from previous fishing expeditions.

Close said there was no communication with the men even before the weather started to pick up. They were expected home by early evening. No sign of them or the boat had been spotted by late Sunday afternoon. Relatives told the Coast Guard the men had lifejackets and flares onboard.

Poor weather conditions could be dangerous for a boat the size of Cooper's.

"A 21-foot boat is a relatively small vessel to be 50 miles off shore in bad weather conditions, certainly the current weather conditions," Close said.

Close said there was no sign yet that the men sent a distress signal.

"That's not to say they didn't send one out," he said. "We didn't receive anything."

Danielle Mayes, owner of Jaxson's Bait House near the ramp where the men departed, said Saturday had been deceptively beautiful. The weather was warm, and boaters had packed the small parking lot overlooking seaside condominiums and light blue waters.

Mayes said many of the boaters who returned Saturday evening, after the weather picked up, said they were surprised that the water had gotten so rough.

The Coast Guard search was mainly by air, and was hampered by the poor weather, Close said. He said there were 14-foot seas offshore and wind gusts of up to 30 mph. Water depth in the search area ranges from 20 to 50 feet. The Coast Guard originally sent a 47-foot ship to search for the men around 2 a.m Sunday. It returned to dock about eight hours later and was replaced by a larger ship, in part because of the weather.
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please guys, think before you post, ok? this is not good.
 
The news is dire, let's hope for a miracle. Regardless of how far they went out it's a grave situation to be caught in high swells in a 21' boat. And the fact there hasn't been any sign of them in 36 hours is very discouraging. :(

 


Cooper family statement

The following statement is from 12 Sports anchor and reporter Bruce Cooper regarding the search and rescue operations for his son Marquis.

I truly appreciate the overwhelming number of phone calls, text messages and support relative to Marquis and his friends missing at sea.

My wife and I learned of the situation when we received a call at about 7 a.m. from the parents of Marquis' wife, Rebekah. We were told the Coast Guard began searching at around 2 a.m. EST but was unable to send a helicopter up at the time because of bad weather. By 9 a.m. the weather had calmed and a helicopter was sent up to aid in the search.

Marquis went deep sea fishing with his friends around 5 a.m. Saturday morning. He routinely stays out on the water 12-14 hours but when his wife hadn't heard from him by 9 p.m. Saturday night, she started making calls to check on him.

Marquis is an avid fisherman; he goes deep sea fishing any opportunity he gets. Two years ago I went deep sea fishing with him. I swore I would never do so again; I didn’t like the fact that I couldn't see land. Needless to say I am very concerned. I am praying and hoping for the best. Marquis was scheduled to report in Oakland on March 16 to began off-season workouts with the Oakland Raiders.

Again, thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

- Bruce Cooper
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linkPretty sad stuff. One of the local news anchors was visibly shaken and could hardly contain her emotions while she reported this tonight.

 
Da Guru said:
This is a 21 ft center boat.

With the weight of the men on that boat and 7 foot swells? Not good.
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If it was a Whaler, like the one in the pic, it would still be floating. Any other 21 foot boat in rough seas with 4 big men is a bad situation.This happens about once a year around here, and the news usually isn't good. When i was little some kid on my soccer teams dad disappeared on a fishing trip.

 
http://www.evergladesboats.com/boats/faq.php

RAMCAP (Rapid Molded Core Assembly Process) bonds the hull, deck and structural core together under extreme pressure to deliver a truly unsinkable boat that will sustain its integrity in the roughest sea conditions.

In addition to providing incredible stability and unsinkability, RAMCAP eliminates air voids between the deck and hull, giving every Everglades more interior room and exceptional fit and finish. A further guarantee of the boats' quality is Everglades Boats 10-year transferable limited hull warranty.

 
One of the only times I have ever been truly scared in my life was being stuck out in a small boat with huge swells. You must at all times respect the power of the ocean. I haven't been back out since, and I wouldn't go out again even if Aquaman was on the boat with me.

 
TwinTurbo said:
One of the only times I have ever been truly scared in my life was being stuck out in a small boat with huge swells. You must at all times respect the power of the ocean. I haven't been back out since, and I wouldn't go out again even if Aquaman was on the boat with me.
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I love the ocean, when it comes up to my knees. If I can't see land and I'm not on a cruise ship, #### it. There comes a point where if your GPS goes out, you are shark meat.Hate to say it, but I can't imagine these dudes are coming back. Going to be choppy as hell tonight too.
 
I'm sure it was already mentioned here, but I was watching the local news here in Tampa and the other two men are former USF football players. Showed one of the dad crying. Real sad.

 
Homer @ RJ said:
TwinTurbo said:
One of the only times I have ever been truly scared in my life was being stuck out in a small boat with huge swells. You must at all times respect the power of the ocean. I haven't been back out since, and I wouldn't go out again even if Aquaman was on the boat with me.
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I love the ocean, when it comes up to my knees. If I can't see land and I'm not on a cruise ship, #### it. There comes a point where if your GPS goes out, you are shark meat.
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:useless:
 
QUEZILLA said:
Da Guru said:
This is a 21 ft center boat.

With the weight of the men on that boat and 7 foot swells? Not good.
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If it was a Whaler, like the one in the pic, it would still be floating. Any other 21 foot boat in rough seas with 4 big men is a bad situation. This happens about once a year around here, and the news usually isn't good. When i was little some kid on my soccer teams dad disappeared on a fishing trip.
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I can't hold this... just makes me think of when I met Corey w/ K-Rob, B-Jam, Ray-Rob, and Willie. We were sitting here in Raleigh after the Indiana game back in the day, talking about the "young buck" QB, Philip Rivers... small world, brothers. I hope and pray...
 
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first i've heard of this, but PFT is reporting that the search has been called off...

thoughts & prayers with the families...

"A source with knowledge of the tragic situation that has unfolded over the past two days in Florida tells us that the authorities have called off the search for a 21-foot fishing boat carrying two NFL players.

We’re told that the boat left from Seminole, not Clearwater, and followed the Intercoastal Waterway.

A search for debris was conducted from Sand Key, which is south of Clearwater, all the way to Anclote in Pasco County.

As it was explained to us, unless the men made it onto another vessel or managed to navigate 13-foot waves in that 21-foot boat, it’s not looking good."

 
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http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/stor...uUCLHJayuxck%3D

U.S. Coast Guard: Search continues throughout the night

Posted By: Erica Pitzi 40 mins ago

St. Petersburg, FL -- The commander for the U.S. Coast Guard, St. Petersburg Sector, says he will NOT call off the search for the night for four missing boaters.

Instead, the Coast Guard has stepped up its nighttime search with more planes and bigger patrol boats.

They have been using 87-foot patrol boats but even boats of that size are having a hard time.

Two 110-foot patrol boats will replace the smaller patrol boats and are headed out to sea tonight.

The Air Force is also helping out with the search now.

Meanwhile, the weather and water conditions have not become any better for the water or air search.

Seas are still fourteen feet high and wind gusts up to thirty miles-per-hour.

The Coast Guard says those conditions kick up white caps on the water that make it even harder to see from any distance away.

Around 11:00 Sunday night, the Coast Guard switched shifts and refueled boats to get back on the water.

They say there is no indication that the men are NOT in the boat so the search continues as a search and rescue.

Stay tuned with 10 Connects This Morning to find out the very latest on the search for these four men lost at sea.

 
sad story, hope it works out

prayers for them

coast guard can be pretty incredible at times, let's hope

 
At this point I am kind of just hoping they were drunk, and had a quick death by drowning. . Anything besides starving, or sitting in the water scared, and cold for days.

 
the branded hand said:
QUEZILLA said:
Da Guru said:
This is a 21 ft center boat.

With the weight of the men on that boat and 7 foot swells? Not good.
Click to expand...
If it was a Whaler, like the one in the pic, it would still be floating. Any other 21 foot boat in rough seas with 4 big men is a bad situation. This happens about once a year around here, and the news usually isn't good. When i was little some kid on my soccer teams dad disappeared on a fishing trip.
Click to expand...
I can't hold this... just makes me think of when I met Corey w/ K-Rob, B-Jam, Ray-Rob, and Willie. We were sitting here in Raleigh after the Indiana game back in the day, talking about the "young buck" QB, Philip Rivers... small world, brothers. I hope and pray...
Click to expand...
Not to be a penis but who in the hell are you talking about?
 
link

PINELLAS COUNTY (CNN) -- Two NFL players are among four boaters missing since Saturday night off Clearwater.

Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper and NFL free agent Corey Smith, who played for the Detroit Lions for the past three seasons, are still missing from a Saturday fishing trip in water off Clearwater, family members and colleagues said Sunday.

Cooper and Smith both formerly played for the Buccaneers. Cooper was with the Bucs in 2004 and 2005 and Smith played for the team from 2002 to 2004.

The Coast Guard began searching around 2 a.m. after it learned that four men -- Cooper, Smith, and former University of South Florida football players William Bleakley and Nick Schuyler -- had not returned from their fishing trip Saturday evening as expected.

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

More Information

Coast Guard response

Missing boaters

Marquis Cooper

Corey Smith

William Bleakley

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 have focused on 750 square miles of open water in the Gulf of Mexico, about 50 miles west of Clearwater Pass. From there, the men had left the Seminole Boat Ramp in a 21-foot single-engine boat about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard said.

Rebekah Cooper said she became worried Saturday night when she didn't hear from her husband. She called her one of her husband's fishing buddies, Brian Miller, who contacted the Coast Guard with the coordinates of where the men planned to fish.

"Usually I'm on the boat. It's a little difficult wondering if something would have been different if I had been there," Miller said. "Or who knows? They may be just sitting out there with a broken motor -- and that's what we're hoping for."He said it was clear something was wrong when Cooper didn't call Saturday night.

William Bleakley, from Crytal River, played football at USF.

"He should've been within range to use his cell phone, and he knows enough to shut it off when he goes out so the batteries are still there," he said.

Close said weather conditions were relatively good Saturday, "but the weather picked up overnight."

"It's a small vessel for the conditions that are out there right now," Close said Sunday afternoon.

Rebekah Cooper said her husband was aware of Sunday's weather forecast and for that reason picked Saturday for the trip.

"Fishing is his first love, it always has been," she said, adding, "I have a lot of faith in him out there."

Cooper's father said he learned of the situation Sunday morning from his daughter-in-law. His son "routinely stays out on the water 12-14 hours," Bruce Cooper, a sports anchor in Phoenix, Arizona, said in a statement.

Close said authorities had not received a distress signal from the boaters. Close said Cooper owns the boat.

Bruce Cooper called his son an "avid fisherman."

"He goes deep sea fishing any opportunity he gets," Cooper said in the statement. "Two years ago I went deep sea fishing with him. I swore I would never do so again; I didn't like the fact that I couldn't see land. Needless to say I am very concerned. I am praying and hoping for the best."

The boat, a center-console vessel manufactured by Everglades Boats, is billed as "unsinkable," Close said.

The Detroit Lions released a statement acknowledging that Smith was among the missing men, adding, "Our thoughts and prayers are with all the passengers, their families and all those involved in the search efforts."

Schuyler's father, Stu, told reporters that the four men knew each other from working out at a gym, and that his son had accompanied Cooper and Smith on a fishing trip last week that lasted 15 hours.

Bleakley lettered from 2004 to 2006 as a tight end for USF, according to a spokesman for the university's athletics department. Schuyler was a walk-on defensive end for USF in 2006, but he never played in a game, the spokesman said.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Will and Nick, as well as the Florida Coast Guard as they continue their search," USF Athletic Director Doug Woolard said in a statement Sunday.

The Coast Guard asked anyone with information on the boaters to contact its St. Petersburg, office at 727-824-7506.

 
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