Two NFL Players Among Missing FL Boaters

[stxnas]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-missingboaters-nfl&prov=ap&type=lgns

Agent: 2 NFL players among Fla. missing boaters
15 minutes ago

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Return to Original Buzz up!494 votes PrintCLEARWATER, 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.”

 

[aries70]

Man that's crazy,scary,and ballsy. It takes balls to get in the Ocean in a 21footer. I was on a Navy vessel and that wasn't big enough for me. But I hope they find the guy's and that it's not another Perfect storm situation.

 

[stxnas]

I was watching the news earlier today and they have found one of the passengers. These two particular passengers were still missing as of that time.

 

[brownstown89]

wow the guy who survived imagine spending all that time clinging and hanging on a boat for what was it like 2-3 days??

idc how much anyone can deadlift or bench or squat etc.. thats MAD strength to keep urself alive that long ! hats off to him my new idol.

 

[aries70]

No doubt!! He has a Jonah story to tell.

 

[warnerve]

called off the search now. sad to hear

 

[raginfcktard]

me and many friends of mine are very upset about it as we grew up and went to school with one of them. for those of you that do please pray for their them and their families!

 

[bigpapa]

its sad..they found a lifejacket floating with no body in it. now it could be they found shore somewhere and threw it off, they drowned, or have died of hypothermia..this is just awful...but thats what u get for takin a 20ft boat into open water that far.

 

[vadox6466]

..horrible

 

[raginfcktard]

this was a high school and college friend...

http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?Bob_Bleakley_34