The families also responded to the matter of their sons’ now-missing boat, saying they are thankful for the Coast Guard’s quick reaction after finding the boat.
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The families of two Florida teenagers reported missing after a July 24 fishing trip out of Jupiter are not giving up hope their boys will be found.
“Should there be any surplus funds at the conclusion of the search-and-rescue efforts, they will be directed to aid in similar activity that will benefit saving lives in related situations”, a posting on the gofundme page said. The coast guard has stated securing the boat after its discovery was not the priority; the search for the teens was. “We have been assured and remain confident that all possible scenarios regarding this incident were entered into the Coast Guards search model”.
TowBoatUS said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission contacted it to retrieve the boat about 67 nautical miles east of the Ponce De Leon Inlet.
The Coast Guard suspended search efforts for the boys at sunset last Friday. “When we’re dealing with lives, and somebody’s life is in jeopardy, we’re dedicating our resources to go out there and find them”.
“We plan to surge assets and personnel on Wednesday …to take full advantage of an environmental window that is expected to bring favorable weather conditions”, Nick Korniloff, Cohen’s stepfather and family spokesman, said in a statement.
The families thanked the public, rescue agencies and others for the outpouring of support and described it as “overwhelming”.
A GoFundMe account for the “The Perry and Austin Rescue Fund”, created by Perry Cohen’s mom, Pamela Cohen, has reached its fundraising goal of $475,000 and is no longer accepting donations, according to the family statement.
A family representative said the private search spans from the coastline of Jupiter to Wilmington, North Carolina.
As the group handed out the updated flyers, several children drew a heart in the sand, with the words find Austin and Perry, and outlined the heart with sea shells.
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Life vests, a white YETI Tundra 35-quart cooler, a recently-painted Yamaha silver-gray engine cover, a Plano tackle box, and a pair of white Royal brand fishing/rain boots have not yet been recovered from the boat.
