Austin & Perry: FWC said if GPS or EPIRB on boat rescue would have been possible

Austin & Perry: FWC said if GPS or EPIRB on boat rescue would have been possible.

After a year, multiple search parties and examining countless evidence the FWC has published the final report on the disappearance of Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen. This very story of the two boys lost at sea grabbed not just us, the locals. The story grabbed the entire world.

It garnered millions of prayers. It sparked many public debates. We now have new legislation regarding equipment that needs to be on a boat. Both families have taken their grief and and started foundations that will hopefully prevent a tragedy like this in the future. Their sons will save lives.

Austin Blue Foundation

Perry Cohen Foundation

In  the end we unite in our sorrow and our sympathies for the family and their loss. This pulls us together to be the wind beneath their wings and allow them to move forward.

The day they went missing

That morning they were at Diane Stephanos  (grandmother) house and grabbed two gas cans. Austin told her he was going Dolphin fishing and would bring some back. They got a ride to Richard Kuntz’s  (grandfather) house and took out the boat. They went under the railway bridge at 0942. Then they went to Diane Stephanos house to fill their cooler with ice, get protein bars, and fishing poles. Then they stopped at the JOB Club Marina for fuel between the hours of 0952 and 1109.

A vehicle matching the description of the boat left the inlet at approximately 1025 hours. A text message was received at 1124 and 1125 hours by Blue Stephanos and Carly Black  Austin was checking in. This was the last known correspondence with the boys.

At 1330 hours a large weather cell impacted the Jupiter area and dissipated at 1500 hours.

The report says the boat lacked basic electronic equipment, including a GPS and an EPIRB.

The concluding statements in the report say that had a GPS device or EPIRB been on board of the Seacraft, a successful rescue of the two 14-year-olds would have been possible.

The FWC reported that they  weather event was responsible for their disappearance.

TreasureCoast

TreasureCoast

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  • Posted 7 years ago

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