A desperate search and rescue operation is continuing off the coast of Florida after an empty fishing boat belonging to two missing men was discovered adrift with its engine still running.
Vanished Without a Trace
Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, set out on a fishing trip from Fort Myers on the morning of Friday, 19 December. Their family expected them to return by late afternoon that same day. When they had not arrived or made contact by 7.30pm, concerned relatives alerted the authorities.
The US Coast Guard launched a helicopter at 11pm to begin a dramatic aerial search. In the early hours of Saturday, 20 December, the men's vessel was located approximately 70 miles from the shore. Alarmingly, the boat was unmanned but still operational.
"The boat was in gear," said US Coast Guard Southeast District spokesperson Riley Perkofski. "We deployed a swimmer, and then the swimmer deployed the vessel's anchor so that it wouldn't keep moving."
A Coordinated Search Effort
By Saturday morning, the US Coast Guard Southeast confirmed that air and surface crews were actively scouring a vast area. The rescue mission covers a 35-mile radius from the point the boat was found, extending up to 5,000 feet in the air.
The agency issued a warning to other mariners and pilots to maintain awareness and avoid the search zone unless coordinated, stating that uncoordinated efforts could create unsafe conditions and hinder the operation. The Lee County Sheriff's Office is assisting and has appealed to the public for information.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno released descriptions of the missing men. Spivey is described as a white male, 6'1", 245lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes, last seen in khaki pants and a dark shirt. Billmaier is a white male, 6'2", 250lbs, with strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes.
Families in Agony Launch Volunteer Mission
The families of the two men are enduring what Brandon Billmaier's wife, Deborah, called "a nightmare." She told Fox4, "[It] feels like I’m in a horror movie." Deborah Billmaier has taken a proactive role, coordinating what she described as "one of the largest searches in Southwest Florida history" with volunteers.
In a social media plea shared widely, she called for any available boaters or pilots to assist. "Please help find them and bring them home!!," she wrote, asking volunteers to text their boat details so information could be compiled and shared with the Coast Guard. A large-scale volunteer search was scheduled for 7am on Sunday, 21 December.
Randall Spivey, a Fort Myers attorney and founder of Spivey Law Firm, was described by his wife as an amazing husband and father. His nephew, Brandon Billmaier, also a lawyer, lives in Weston, Florida.
The US Coast Guard and Lee County Sheriff's Office continue their investigation and search efforts, with the fate of the two fishermen unknown.
