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CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP)—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 Smith’s agent 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.

Smith owned the boat and he and Cooper had been on fishing trips before, said Ron Del Duca, Smith’s agent. The pair had been teammates on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004.

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.

Del Duca called Smith one of the “good guys” of the league and was planning to start visiting teams as a free agent this week. He said he has spoken with Smith’s family and is also in touch with Coast Guard officials.

“They’ve assured me that they’re deploying all available resources to look for these guys and get them back,” he said.

Cooper, 26, has played sparingly in five seasons with the Buccaneers, Seahawks, Jaguars, Steelers and Raiders. Cooper, who is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, played college ball at Washington.

Rick Davis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tampa, 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.

Davis said the water was “extremely rough and choppy” on Sunday afternoon.

Lions spokesman Bill Keenist said he had heard Smith was aboard a missing boat but hadn’t been able to confirm it.

“We’re aware of the media reports,” Keenist said Sunday afternoon. “We’re trying to find out what we can.”
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my00b16si

Hope they are found safe and sound. I had two friends thats didnt return from a fishing trip here in sarasota. It was 3 to 5ft seas They hd to much mllet on board and the boat cap sides and they got traped in there nets. My uncle was on that boat but he switch to another about a hour before the accident happend so he could get on befor dusk. You never want to hear somebody being left out at sea.. Everytime i hear about some one out there it leaves a pit in my stomach.

PARADISE ISLAND

Small boat to be out that far sad hope it turns out OK.

fantastixvoyage

iTrader: (1)

You never realize how expansive the ocean is until something like this happens. I was on the Carnival ship coming back from the Bahamas over the holidays that lost a crew member overboard. Even with the coast guard planes on site within 20 mins and boats within 40 i believe he was never found.

Hope they turn up, Lions can't afford to lose anyone...

cfischer

Smith is a free agent but didn't think it was a situation to mock a football team. Met him multiple times and hung out with him. He's a really cool and nice guy! Hope they find all of them!!

DareDevil

The news said it was a boston wahler ( unsinkible ) ?????

and i met a guy on the boat ramp in sarasota with 18 footer and he told me he goaes out about 50+ miles ,,,,,,CRAZY !


I also hope they be found safe.

LapseofReason

My Dad would go out 5-10 miles in the Gulf in a 16' Carolina skiff. I told him he was nuts too.

Loan Ranger

I ran from my house in Palm Harbor up to Hooters in New Port Richey on Saturday and it was windy and choppy. If they left the ramp early, it was not bad but picked up significantly throught the day. Coming home around 3:30 it was blowing 25-30 with a 2-3' chop along the coast. It would have been very rough offshore - not 21' weather.

GOFASTJUNKIE

21' boat with over 1000lbs of people on it???? Not something I would want to be on going 50+ miles out. I hope this turns out good. My thoughts and prayers are with the families. I read a report that said 14' seas on Sat night.........Now that is scary.

O.C.Barry

iTrader: (5)

There may be one survivor

They just reported on the Tampa Bay news that the Coast Guard spotted an overturned vessel with one person hanging on to it, but no confirmation as to if it is the boat in question.