6 Missing S FL boaters
 

6 S. Florida boaters go missing on trip to Bimini

Associated Press
7:41 AM EDT, September 24, 2007

MIAMI -- U.S. Coast Guard crews are searching for six boaters in a life raft, after their fishing boat was found 100 miles south of their destination in the Bahamas.

Coast Guard Petty Officer James Judge says the 47-foot sports fisher ``Joe Cool'' left Miami for the Bimini islands on Saturday with two passengers and four crew members on board. A relative of one of the boaters reported them missing Saturday night.

Petty Officer Judge says the fishing boat was found last night near Cay Sal without its life raft. Cay Sal is about 100 miles south of where the ``Joe Cool'' was headed.

Looks like a charter boat out of Miami:

(3 of 3) Vessel Name: JOE COOL USCG Doc. No.: 927812
Vessel Service: PASSENGER (UNINSPECTED) IMO Number: *
Trade Indicator: Coastwise Unrestricted Call Sign: *
Hull Material: FRP (FIBERGLASS) Hull Number: DYW47132A888
Ship Builder: DAVIS YACHTS INC Year Built: 1988

Length (ft.): 47
Hailing Port: MIAMI BEACH FL Hull Depth (ft.): 8
Owner: DEEP SEA MIAMI INC
42 STAR ISLAND
MIAMI BEACH, FL 33054 Hull Breadth (ft.): 16
Gross Tonnage: 40
Net Tonnage: 32
Documentation Issuance Date: October 31, 2006 Documentation Expiration Date: October 31, 2007

Anything about the condition of the boat? Was there a reason to abandon ship? Foul play? ???

Bummer. :( :(

Makes you wonder what happened. Way too many things to guess. Was there a distress call logged?

My wife's brother takes his 50 footer to the Bahamas and up and down the west Fl coast like you and I drive to the corner store - sometimes alone. Gives you cause to pause...........

I would never go "off shore" and leave sight of land unless I had a compass, a GPS, and lots of guns! :eek:

get ready for "bermuda triangle" stories.,also curious as to the condition of the boat.

The boat is a fully equipped Buddy Davis sportfish.. Interesting, the $4,000.00 charter fee was paid in cash by a 19 year old from Hialeah.. And the boat was found 100 miles SOUTH of where it was supposedly heading, when the gulfstream flows North..

Oh, and it was found in Cay Sal, but had not cleared customs yet??

I'm waiting for the CG to find a bunch of refugees on one of the Cay Sals awaiting there ride to the promised land...

Scott B is on to something..............



.S. Coast Guard crews are searching for six boaters in a life raft, after their fishing boat was found just north of Cuba -- 100 miles south of their destination in the Bahamas.

Coast Guard Petty Officer James Judge said the ship left the Miami Beach Marina on Saturday.

Guillermo Zorabozo, 19, paid $4,000 cash to charter the 47-foot sports fisher "Joe Cool" for a trip to the Bimini islands, officials said.



On board were the boat's owner, Jake Branam, and his crew: Kelly Branam, Scott Campbell and Sammy Cary, all of Miami. Authorities did not identify another passenger.

A relative of one of the boaters reported them missing Saturday night, Judge said.

Authorities used an HC-130 long-range surveillance aircraft, boats and helicopters to scan the ocean. They found the sports fisher early Monday morning, abandoned, with the contents of the boat "thrown about and in complete disarray," Judge said.

The occupants and the lifeboat were gone. There did not appear to be any reason to abandon the vessel, Judge said.

"It just appears whoever on board, left in a hurry," he said.

Coast Guard personnel found the boat near Cay Sal just 20 miles north of Cuba, 100 miles south of their intended destination. That is unusual because the Gulf Stream flows north, Judge said.

"Some of the stuff isn't adding up, so it's very suspicious," he said

If anyone has any information that could help the search, call the U.S. Coast Guard command center at 1-800-874-7561.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to find the people as soon as possible and get them to their loved ones safely," Judge said.

Pretty much what I expected.

Hmmm...

They have found 2 crew.