The Coast Guard is continuing what it calls an aggressive search for two 14-year-old boys who are missing off of Florida’s east coast.
Coast Guard Captain Mark Fedor says the search involves assets from multiple Coast Guard stations, along with some Navy assets. He says it has been an all hands on deck type effort and they will continue to search aggressively and reevaluate their efforts each day as they move forward.
The Coast Guard located the boys’ capsized boat about 60 miles offshore from Daytona Beach on Sunday, but Fedor said it’s not known exactly why the boys’ boat capsized.
The boys were apparently trying to make it to the Bahamas on their 19-foot boat.
Fedor was asked how long a person could survive in the Atlantic Ocean without a boat. He stated four to five days in current conditions.
He said the cowling on the boat’s engine had been removed, which could indicate engine trouble. The families of the two boys believe that they used items from the boat like the engine cover and life jackets to make flotation devices, and are urging everyone to head out to the beaches and keep an eye out for debris or any other sign of the two boys.
As the search for Austin and Perry continues, many have been wondering why two 14-year old teens would be out on a boat by themselves, but boating is a way of life for many South Florida teenagers. For many teenagers, heading out in the boat is just a typical afternoon.
