Boat Belonging to Missing Florida Teens, Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, Found Off Bermuda Coast

[jpak]

Source: NBC News

The boat belonging to two teenagers who went missing off the coast of Florida during a fishing trip last year was discovered off Bermuda nearly eight months after they vanished, authorities said Saturday.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said the 19-foot single-engine boat that Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, sailed off the coast of Jupiter on July 24 was found by a Norwegian supply boat on March 18 while on the way to Norway. The vessel was discovered about 100 miles off the coast of Bermuda, or about 1,000 miles from where Stephanos and Cohen were last seen before setting off on their fishing trip.

An iPhone and a tackle box were found on the teens' recovered boat, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission notified Stephanos and Cohen's parents of the find "very quickly" after confirming it was Stephanos' boat, said Rob Klepper, a spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Commission. The families were told they could come forward with the information "in their own time," Keppler said.

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Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boat-belonging-missing-florida-teens-austin-stephanos-perry-cohen-found-n561001

[7962]

1. Dont understand these folks who think their kids are able enough to handle the sea.

Such a shame. And I wonder what happened; since the boat wasnt capsized and likely never had been, since they found an iphone and tackle box

[Cal Carpenter]

2. From the last paragraph of the article:

"The Coast Guard had initially located the teens' boat, capsized, two days after they went missing, but when a salvage crew returned 12 hours later to secure the boat, it was gone. "

Just to clarify that it had, apparently capsized.

Don't disagree with you on the first part, btw, I don't know enough about oceans and boats to know if/when it is safe for kids to do this sort of thing solo. Most of my boating experience has been on lakes (Great and otherwise...).

[Ex Lurker]

5. My nephew is 14 years old

at 6 feet tall and 175 lbs, he looks a lot older, but he is still a kid, and would have no business engaging in a hazardous activity unless he had a lot of supervision. I feel sorry for these families, but I don't understand how they thought their sons were capable of going out on their own.

[yardwork]

4. In the photo of the salvage the boat is upside down.

[7962]

9. I see that now. Odd that the phone stayed on board

[yardwork]

11. Probably in a locker.

[FourScore]

8. They didn't allow them to go out alone. They took the boat without telling their parents.

That's according to reports back when they were looking for the boys.

[uppityperson]

3. What an odd story, the poor families of these boys.

[dhill926]

6. this story is a real mystery.....

hope the families get closure somehow....

[yardwork]

12. I don't think it's mysterious.

Teenagers took a boat into the ocean. It capsized. They drowned.

[7962]

15. Its likely just that simple. Sad.

[yardwork]

16. Very sad.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. Link to one of last summer's threads

Few clues emerge on fate of teens missing on fishing trip

[Sunlei]

10. I thought they found the boat last year? must have flipped in rough weather waves.

[Darb]

13. Does anyone know the make and model of the boat?

Just curious as to what size vessel and type of hull they ventured out in.

[leftyladyfrommo]

14. Their tackle box and iPhone were found in the boat.

Unless they were really fastened down somehow it doesn't sound like the boat capsized.

That poor family.

[yardwork]

17. The boat capsized. It was found capsized.

The items were probably in a locked compartment. Boats have lockers and compartments designed to stow and protect items in bad weather.