Search Party for Lost Boater 2-1-04
 

This is down by Tampa, Fla. to try to recover Chris Parker who has been missing since his 36 Spectre capsized last Sunday.

Forwarded: 1-31-04

I received this last night

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Here is the lastest info on the recovery effort. Thanks,

Fish

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10am Gandy Boat Ramp Tampa Side Near Jimmy Macs

Boat Owners Needed!

Officer Randy Lopez (TPD Marine Unit ) will be dock side with instructions. He is the only official so please follow his instructions.
Monitor VHF Channel 68
Northern Sweep - 10:20 sweep the Eastern side of Tampa Bay from Gandy Bridge North toward the Howard Franklin Bridge. Line up along the bridge @ approx. 10:20am - 200' apart. Smaller boats search the shallow water and canals. Larger boats search the open water. As the group approaches the Howard Franklin the larger boats should spread out to the west to continue the open water coverage, circling back to the Gandy.
Southern Sweep - After the Northern sweep returns to the Gandy the same format will be used heading South down the Macdill shore toward Gadsden Point then circling back to the Gandy
Important - Any meaningful discoveries that you may believe to be associated with the accident need to be treated with the utmost of care. Immediately contact Randy Lopez (TPD) on Channel 68 for instructions.
Randy Lopez (TPD) will go into much greater detail for coverage in other areas of the bay so please be early. For those of you without boats please meet at the Gandy ramp so we can pair you up with other boats needing crew.

Today @ 1pm First Baptist Church, 1900 Gandy Blvd. There was a Celebration of Life for Chris Parker.

From Fish:

Search Unsuccessful

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Sharkey is right, there were an awful lot of boats. So many that on the south side of the Gandy Bridge, there were enough boats to spread from one side of the bay to the other.

Although we were unable to find Chris, it is truly a testament to the person he was and the rallying of the boating community to see so many boats of all types in the rain searching for him.

The search was called off at approximately 2:30 this afternoon and was followed by 1 minute of radio silence and then all boats blowing their horns together in memorium.

This is a picture of the boats in a line towards the west (pinellas county) lined up and searching. THere were about twice as many to the east from where I was in the line, but the picture did not come out.

Fish

I received a phone call from Ricochet Mike around 2:45 this afternoon (2-2-04) to let me know Chris has been found. Rest in Peace Chris, Rest in Peace....................

Rest In Peace

Heres what I found on it.

http://www.baynews9.com/site/content/32835.html

Thank you Carter31