‘Aggressive’ search underway for 2 teen fishers off Florida coast

Associated Press

JUPITER, Fla.

The Coast Guard searched “aggressively” off the Florida coast and friends combed the shoreline Monday for any sign of two teenage fishermen, described as experienced boaters, who went missing three days earlier after setting out for the Bahamas on a stormy afternoon.

What began as a teenage summer adventure – a chaperone-free getaway on the high seas – took an ominous turn after the 19-foot boat that carried Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos was found capsized and days of searches proved fruitless. But authorities and the boys’ families held out hope, saying the teens were consummate seamen and a rescue is still possible.

“Our intentions are to continue to search aggressively,” Coast Guard Capt. Mark Fedor said at a news conference Monday evening, but that the decision was being re-evaluated daily. Earlier in the day, Coast Guard Petty Officer Steve Lehmann said the search was going on under “the highest level of optimism.” He declined to say how long it would continue beyond “the time being.”

Crews studied ocean currents and zeroed in on an area off Jacksonville as the most likely position for the boys Monday. Meanwhile, the teens’ families and a famous neighbor – NFL Hall of Famer Joe Namath – pledged to walk the beaches beginning in their hometown of Tequesta in hopes of finding clues.

The boys were last seen Friday afternoon buying $110 worth of fuel near Jupiter. Officials said they departed around 1:30 p.m. Weather reports for Friday say storms reached the Jupiter-Tequesta area around 4 p.m., and thunderstorms with heavy rains were expected there until sunset.