"Official search ends for Fla. boys" Associated Press July 31, 2015
OPA-LOCKA, Fla. — After hundreds of rescue workers fanned out across a massive swath of the Atlantic for a full week, the Coast Guard ended its search for two teenage fishermen Friday; however, their families are pressing on, aided by supporters and $300,000 in search-fund donations.
Officials said private planes and boats were preparing to keep scouring for the 14-year-old neighbors, Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos.
The saga began July 24, when the boys went fishing in Austin’s 19-foot boat on the Intracoastal Waterway, and could not be reached after a line of storms moved through.
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"Coast Guard searches for Florida teens" Associated Press July 28, 2015
TEQUESTA, Fla. — The Coast Guard scoured the seas off Florida and friends combed the shoreline Monday for any sign of two teenage fishermen, described as experienced boaters, who went missing three days earlier after setting out for the Bahamas on a stormy afternoon.
What began as a teenage summer adventure — a chaperone-free getaway on the high seas — took an ominous turn after the 19-foot boat that carried Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos was found capsized and days of searches proved fruitless....
The boys were last seen Friday afternoon buying $110 worth of fuel near Jupiter. Officials said they departed around 1:30 p.m. Weather reports for Friday say storms reached the Jupiter-Tequesta area around 4 p.m., and thunderstorms with heavy rains were expected until sunset.
Their vessel was found Sunday off Ponce Inlet, more than 180 miles north of where the boys began their journey. Though the boat was overturned it did not appear damaged. No foul play was suspected.
The Coast Guard said its search had covered an area the size of Indiana by helicopter, boat and airplane, and local authorities and the USS Carney also joined the efforts to locate the boys. The families of the teens are offering $100,000 reward in the search.
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"Search widens for Florida teens lost at sea" Associated Press July 29, 2015
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Two teens missing at sea had strayed from the agreed-upon boundaries for their fishing trip, the stepfather of one of the boys said Tuesday, as the Coast Guard continued a massive search off Florida’s Atlantic coast.
Nick Korniloff said his 14-year-old stepson, Perry Cohen, and the boy’s friend, Austin Stephanos, were supposed to remain on the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal Waterway during their outing Friday.
Korniloff said he didn’t believe the boys were heading to the Bahamas, as some have speculated, but that they obviously ended up in the deep waters they were supposed to steer clear of.
‘‘It’s a bit of a surprise to see, for us, that they went offshore,’’ Korniloff said.
At this point though, after four days of searches for the boys, the stepfather said why the boys ended up in the Atlantic is irrelevant, and he’s focusing on the years of experience they had on the water that could keep them alive.
‘‘We have a huge amount of confidence, and I think that’s a testament to why the Coast Guard is working so hard,’’ Korniloff said.
The search area has steadily moved north, with crews focused on a swath of water from Daytona Beach north to Savannah, Ga.
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