Today, the search for missing teen boys Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos continues, with rescue operations focused near Savannah, Georgia. They were last seen purchasing $110 worth of gas for their 19-foot boat and were believed to be heading toward the Bahamas.
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“We’ve got to believe in their wherewithal, and we have some confidence in that area, no doubt”, he said during the conference. His stepson, he said, learned to swim before he walked, and spent every opportunity he could boating, fishing, snorkeling and otherwise enjoying the ocean. (AP) – 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.
“I’m confident, but you have to look at the fact, how many days can they do in the water with out food or water”, said the boys’ friend Matthew Levalle.
“We live in a boating community”. “I get goosebumps. In my heart, they could have been my kids”.
Meanwhile, Korniloff’s wife, Pamela Cohen, took to social media to post updates and to urge people to help in any way possible in the ongoing efforts to find and rescue the boys.
“Hopefully the lanterns will fly far enough and they’ll be able to see them and know we’re still looking for them – that we need them to come home”, said friend Isabella Murgio. The capsized vessel was discovered 67 nautical miles (about 77 miles, or 124 kilometers) off Florida’s Ponce de Leon Inlet, the Coast Guard said.
Crews searched throughout the night and will continue all day Tuesday.
Why the boys ended up in the Atlantic is irrelevant at this point, Korniloff said, focusing on the years of experience they had on the water that could keep them alive.
Fedor told ABC News the Coast Guard hopes the boys may be hanging onto a lifejacket or a cooler, which was apparently on board. Pamela Cohen compared the boys, who have been around the ocean and boats their entire lives, to kids on a farm operating the big tractors and other machinery when they are young.
The pair was reported missing from Jupiter, Florida, on Friday afternoon.
The discovery of the capsized boat, he said, means the missing teens could be in a more serious situation than officials feared. Neither was surprised to hear of their solo journey. They are hopeful that the teens could survive in warm water for about four to five days.
Former American football player Joe Namath, Ms Cohen’s neighbour, has offered a $100,000 (£64,100) reward for information on the missing boys. A sighting of an object off the Georgia coast prompted a brief flurry of interest, but it was found to be unconnected to the teens.
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Cohen was also optimistic about the boys’ return on her Instagram page Tuesday. “It’s a needle in a haystack out there”, he said, “and that’s one of the reasons life jackets are orange, so it gives us better visibility in cases like this”. The Coast Guard would rather volunteers comb the beaches than go out on the water searching for the boys.
