The search for a 57-year-old Fort Myers attorney and his 33-year-old nephew continued Sunday after the pair were reported missing Dec. 19 while fishing off the coast of Naples.
The U.S. Coast Guard, along with partner agencies, is leading the search for attorney Randall Spivey and his nephew, Brandon Billmyer, who went missing Friday night around 9 p.m. The boat they used for their trip was scheduled to return at sunset.
The pair went on a 42-foot Freeman boat called the “Unstop-A-Bull,” according to Supervisor Luis Garcia, who is on the lookout for the Coast Guard area of St. Petersburg. The Coast Guard found the boat floating upright in the Gulf about 70 miles off the coast of Naples, with no sign of the missing boaters.
Now, one of the largest searches in Southwest Florida history is underway, with a massive community effort behind it.
Here’s what we know so far as of noon, Sunday, December 21.
Florida boaters missing from Fort Myers found? Boater’s wife provides updates
As of 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, Randall Spive and Brandon Billmyer, Florida boaters reported missing Dec. 19 after a fishing trip off the coast of Naples, according to Billmyer’s wife, Deborah.
“Updates after speaking with the US Coast Guard this morning,” Deborah Billmyer wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. “The EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) was unfortunately still on the boat. They were fishing below when the incident happened (still not sure what happened.)
The post also noted that some life jackets were not found on the boat, indicating that Spive and Billmayer may have been wearing them.
Who is involved in the search for missing Florida boaters?
US Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg posted news of the discovery on social media on Saturday morning, December 20.
According to the Facebook post, air and surface teams from the agency and partner agencies are involved in the search at US Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach, US Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, US Coast Guard Air Station Miami and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
“An 87-foot boat in the water, a 45-foot boat, a 60-foot helicopter, 144 planes, 6130 Air Force Ones from Patrick Air Force Base and 144 continuing throughout the day (not sure if it was a boat or a plane) were in the water in support of the search effort,” Deborah Billmyer wrote in her post the morning after.
An immediate marine broadcast has also been issued to all vessels in the area to help expand the search range, Billmyer said.
The community is stepping up to help search for a missing boater in Florida
The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated one of the largest search parties in Southwest Florida history on Sunday morning, Dec. 21, beginning at first light, according to Deborah Billmyer, Brandon, Billmyer’s wife. In his Facebook post, he asked those with capable vessels to help.
Florida Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman shared a post on X.
Erin Shaw Harrell of the Facebook group SWFL Boaters urged people to get out on the water Saturday to look for missing boats, providing these coordinates for the search: 25-51.67N 083-12.16W.
Brent Stokes, owner of Stokes Marine, also asked for volunteers to help with the search.
According to Stokes, anyone interested in helping with the search can call Tricia Spivey at 239-896-4099 or the US Coast Guard at 727-322-4180.
Who is Randall Spivey, Brandon Billmaier? Florida lawyer and nephew missing from Fort Myers
Fort Myers attorney Randy Spivey (pictured) and his nephew, Brandon Billmyer, disappeared off the coast of Naples on Dec. 19 during a fishing trip.
Attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his 33-year-old nephew, Brandon Billmyer, went missing on Friday, December 19 at 9 p.m.
Tricia Spivey reported her husband and nephew missing Friday night, said Supervisor Luis Garcia of the Coast Guard area of St. Petersburg. “They were going to fish about 102 miles offshore.”
Spivey is a white male, 6’1″, 245lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office wearing khaki pants and a black shirt. Billmaier is a white male, 6’2″, 250lbs, with strawberry eyes and strawberry hair.
Where was the missing fishing boat found?
The pair went on a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstop-A-Bull,” Garcia said. The Coast Guard later found the boat floating upright in the Gulf about 70 miles off the coast of Naples, but no sign of the missing boaters.
Tricia Spivey says GPS coordinates from the boat’s Spot Tracker led them to a location near Marco Island and Flamingo. That is where the search is focused.
The Coast Guard found a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstop-A-Bull” floating upright in the bay, but no sign of the missing boatman, attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his 33-year-old nephew Brandon Billmyer.
Help search for lost Florida boaters with information on where to call
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s help in locating Spivey and Billmaier.
If anyone knows the couple’s whereabouts, they can call 911, if applicable, or call the sheriff’s office at 477-1000. To remain anonymous, you can also call SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
This article originally appeared in the Fort Myers News-Press: Missing boater updates Sunday as search continues in Florida
