Posted on 07/26/2015 12:26:22 PM PDT by FlJoePa
JUPITER, Fla. —The family of one of the missing teen boaters told WPBF 25 Sunday afternoon that their overturned boat was found off Jacksonville.
The fate of the teens is unknown.
Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos, both 14, were aboard a 19-foot white single-engine boat.
The U.S. Coast Guard said the boat is being towed to Jacksonville.
The teens were last seen around 1 p.m. Friday after buying $110 worth of fuel at The Jib.
Perry and Austin left shore en route to the Bahamas.
The disappearances were alerted to Tequesta police at about 5 p.m.
Tequesta officers, along with the Palm Beach and Martin County sheriff's offices, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard, searched through the night for the teens.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it had covered 14,447 nautical miles as of Sunday morning.
Pam Telvi Cohen, Perry's mother, said there is a $100,000 reward for the boys' safe return.
The families held a news conference Sunday morning thanking the public for their support. They also thanked the Coast Guard.
"The commitment (of the U.S. Coast Guard) has been fantastic," said Nick Korniloff, Perry's stepfather.
Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath is a neighbor of the families and joined them at Sunday's press conference.
Two fourteen year olds in a 19ft boat???
I hope they are found, but I can’t help it, I’m going to say it:
They were too young to navigate a craft to the Bahamas.
Not only weather concerns, but if they were to come upon a big drug deal going on—not good.
My guess would be one of them caught a large fish, either the boat over turned trying to haul it in, or one went overboard and the other went in to rescue.
Really, its going to take a miracle.
OH Perry apparently commanded a Navy ship at 18.
450 miles.
Whoops. My mistake. Jupiter to the Bahamas 213 mi.
One day, a kid about my age decided to use the family sail boat. Only thing was, the day was foggy and the sail boat was moored off shore. He couldn't see the boat he was going to, but he got in his dinghy and started rowing.
You don't row in the fog.
He got lost. He wound up on shore quite a long way from home and had to find a house and call home for help. It could have ended much worse.
Young people often think that nothing bad can happen. But sometimes it does. With or without fog; the sea is unforgiving.
Jupiter to Bimini is only about 100 miles.
Are there any photos of the boat? Did they have radio or anything?
My brother used to sail around So. FL and the Caribbean and he said it was very dangerous. He was always armed.
... in a 19 foot boat.
I feel sorry for the kids, but the parents acted irresponsibly. The parents should pay all the costs.
Irresponsible people ruin it for everybody. Freedom will be lost.
By the age of twelve, O. H. Perry had sailed with his father to the West Indies and by at the age of 13 was appointed a midshipman in the United States Navy on April 7, 1799. Perry was well trained, and had escalating responsibility appropriate to his train, experience and skills.
It’s about 65nm, to West End, Grand Bahama Island from Jupiter Inlet.
Agree they are too young to go that far alone. Same with those young teens who's parents let them fly across the country in single engine planes by themselves. Far too young.
In this day and age, to have a boat without GPS or transponder is irresponsible.
Why? the CG is on duty around the clock, not just when there is an emergency. That's what they're for.
You know how they get good at S&R? By performing S&R.
Think of it as training.
Motor boat? Sailboat?
We used to have a 16 ft dagger board day sailer with a cabin, bunks and head. I don’t think the size of the boat would be a huge disadvantage. But not having communications (report bad weather), life jackets (pulled/fell overboard) or a firearm (drug runners/human trafficking-kidnapping) are the serious issues.
The one kid looked like an avid fisherman. I would suspect a fishing mishap.
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