missing nfl players

[dan_uk]

http://www.ktnv.com/global/story.asp?s=9939951

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/3/3/coast_guard_suspending_search_for_missing_boaters. html

[One2Snoop]

Wow! How sad. :rose:


From above link....

Coast Guard Suspends Search For Missing Boaters
Tuesday, March 03, 2009 7:04:54 PM

CLEARWATER -- The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search at sunset for three people, including two NFL football players, after their boat overturned in the Gulf of Mexico Saturday evening.

NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith and former USF player Will Bleakley are still missing.

Nick Schuyler, a former University of South Florida football player, was found Monday afternoon clinging to the overturned boat he and three others took out Saturday to go fishing.

Schuyler was found about 35 miles off shore. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital via helicopter in serious condition. He was upgraded to fair condition Tuesday morning.

snip...

[dan_uk]

NFL Player Lost at Sea Urged to Buy Life-Saving Device for Boats in Distress -- But Didn't

Two days before NFL player Marquis Cooper took a doomed fishing trip with three friends in Florida Gulf Coast waters, a friend urged him to buy a life-saving device used to locate boats in distress.

Cooper hadn't heard of the gadget, an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). And he didn't purchase one before his excursion on Saturday, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

Cooper friend William Bleakley and fellow NFL player Corey Smith remain lost and presumed dead after their boat flipped over in rough seas Saturday.

A fourth man with them, Nick Schuyler, survived by clinging to the overturned vessel for 46 hours.

The Coast Guard never received a distress signal from Cooper's 21-foot fishing boat.

His friend Clay Eavenson told him during a different fishing outing two days before the accident that he should get an EPIRB, which transmits radio signals and GPS coordinates that rescue crews can use to find boats in trouble, the Times reported.

The devices cost between $400 and $1,400 and can self-activate when boats tip over. Cooper agreed that he should have one — but didn't follow through before setting off Saturday. Eavenson had been invited to go with the four, but declined, according to the paper.

"The thing I want to come out of this is people need to become aware," Eavenson said. "He was not aware of what one was, and he would have had one had he known.

"He told me he was going to go buy one. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of people that do what Marquis did without knowing what is available."

The lone survivor said two of those lost gave up after hours in the frigid water and the third tried to swim to safety.

Former University of South Florida football player Schuyler told investigators that all four of the friends on the fishing excursion were initially wearing life vests and clinging to the boat belonging to Oakland Raiders linebacker Cooper.

But two to four hours after the boat capsized, one of the NFL players removed his life jacket and let himself be swept out to sea, the Times reported. A few hours later, the other one followed suit.

"We were told that Nick said the two NFL players took their life jackets off and drifted out to sea," said Bob Bleakley, whose son Will Bleakley, 25, is also still missing.


After Cooper, 26, and Corey Smith, 29, were carried away, Bleakley and Schuyler hung on until morning — but then Bleakley decided to swim to get help when he thought he saw a distant light, the paper said.

He, too, took his life vest off, 24-year-old Schuyler told the families.

"I think he was delusional to think he could swim someplace," the Times quoted Bob Bleakley as saying.

Cooper's cousin Ray Sanchez said the Coast Guard recounted a similar story to him, but doesn't know whether it's true. Schuyler suffered from hypothermia and weakness, which could have affected his memory and thinking.

"We're not 100 percent sure where his head was at," Sanchez told the paper. "He'd been through a lot."

His doctor said he was in good condition on Wednesday and had never been delusional during his ordeal.

"I don’t think he was thinking as well as you and I today," Dr. Mark Rumbak, the attending physician for the rescued boater, told reporters outside Tampa General Hospital. "But I don’t think he was delusional at all."

Meanwhile, family and friends refused to give up the search for the three men missing four days in the Gulf of Mexico, enlisting private boats and planes to comb Florida waters after the Coast Guard stopped its official search late Tuesday.

About a dozen charter boats motored out Wednesday, some with friends of the families aboard, to try to locate some sign of the men, according to dock workers at John's Pass near St. Petersburg. Three private planes also flew over the endless stretch of water, according to Cooper's father.

"Everyone around here, they've either known someone or heard of someone who's been lost out at sea," said David Scott, who works at a marina at John's Pass. "It's just one of those situations. Everyone really comes together in times like these."

Schuyler was rescued Monday after a Coast Guard cutter crew found him clinging to the hull 35 miles off Clearwater. His doctor said it's a "miracle" Schuyler survived in the 63-degree Gulf water for nearly two days.

Rumbak attributed the fitness instructor's survival for 46 hours in 60-degree waters to the good shape he's in physically, his mental stamina, his experience playing college football — and luck.

"This guy is very tough mentally. ... If he didn't have that type of background, I don't think he would have made it," Rumbak said. "Still, I do think it's a miracle."

On Wednesday night, Florida Fish and Wildlife crews retrieved the overturned boat and brought it back to shore.

The Coast Guard ended its three-day search for the men Tuesday at sunset, dashing hopes they might be found.

Rescuers combed more than 24,000 miles of ocean before calling it off.

Coast Guard Capt. Timothy Close said if there were any other survivors, they would have been found.

[dan_uk]

"I think the families understood that we put in a tremendous effort," Close said. "Any search and rescue case we have to stop is disappointing."

Coast Guard teams spotted no signs of the men except for a cooler and a life jacket 16 miles southeast of the boat. Still, family members of Cooper — the son of Phoenix sportscaster Bruce Cooper — maintained hope at a Tuesday night prayer vigil in Mesa, Ariz., that he might turn up.

Bleakley's father said he thought Coast Guard rescuers did everything they could, adding he had lower expectations after only one survivor was found Monday.

"I think they were not to be found," Robert Bleakley said.

Scott Miller, a friend of the college teammates, said Schuyler told him that a chopper shone a light directly above them the first night. Schuyler also told him he even saw lights beaming from ashore.

It was Bleakley who swam underneath to retrieve three life jackets he could find, along with a cushion, a groggy Schuyler told Miller from a Tampa hospital. Bleakley used the cushion and the other men wore the jackets, Miller said.

But the waves were powerful, and after Cooper and Smith were separated from the boat, the college teammates tried to hang on.

"He said basically that Will helped him keep going," Schuyler told Miller, who said he had known Bleakley since the sixth grade. "The waves were just so much. They never got a break."

Schuyler's doctor said he hasn't seen signs of post traumatic stress yet and doesn't believe that Schuyler has fully grasped the gravity of the situation — which is normal immediately after a crisis. But Schuyler knows his friends are lost, he added.

"I think he is aware of what happened to his friends," Rumbak said. "He said he was fine at this point in time. I don't think it's fully hit him yet." He said he was reunited with his girlfriend and "seemed quite happy."

The four men left Clearwater Pass early Saturday in calm weather, but heavy winds picked up through the day and the seas strengthened, with waves of 7 feet and higher, peaking at 15 feet on Sunday.

Schuyler told the Coast Guard the boat was anchored when it capsized.

The Coast Guard hadn't had more detailed conversations with Schuyler because of his physical condition, Close said. Schuyler told hospital officials he didn't want to speak to the media.

Cooper was selected in the third round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Washington. He played 26 games for the Bucs in his first two pro seasons, then led a nomadic NFL existence.

Cooper and Smith became friends when they were teammates at Tampa Bay. Smith signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in 2002, and spent last season with Detroit before becoming a free agent. The former North Carolina State standout recorded 42 tackles (28 solo), three sacks and 10 special teams tackles in 2008, his best NFL season.

Bleakley, a former tight end from Crystal River, Fla., was on the USF football team in 2004 and 2005. He had one reception for 13 yards in his career, which also included some time on special teams.

Stuart Schuyler said his son is an instructor at L.A. Fitness and had helped train Smith and Cooper.

[dan_uk]

Family calls off search for Raider missing at sea

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The family of NFL player Marquis Cooper says they have decided to discontinue their search for the 26-year-old man and two friends still missing in the Gulf of Mexico.

In a statement released Friday, Bruce Cooper said his family is beginning the healing process, and needs time to be together and remember his son. Cooper described his son as a great father and husband.

The football player was aboard a 21-foot fishing boat last Saturday evening when it capsized in rough seas. Only former University of South Florida player Nick Schuyler was found alive.

The Coast Guard called off its search on Tuesday, but the Cooper family had remained optimistic, enlisting private pilots and charter boats to continue the search.

[SaraSidle]

Family calls off search for Raider missing at sea

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The family of NFL player Marquis Cooper says they have decided to discontinue their search for the 26-year-old man and two friends still missing in the Gulf of Mexico.

In a statement released Friday, Bruce Cooper said his family is beginning the healing process, and needs time to be together and remember his son. Cooper described his son as a great father and husband.

The football player was aboard a 21-foot fishing boat last Saturday evening when it capsized in rough seas. Only former University of South Florida player Nick Schuyler was found alive.

The Coast Guard called off its search on Tuesday, but the Cooper family had remained optimistic, enlisting private pilots and charter boats to continue the search.

You know I really do not mean to be gross but we could be talking sharks.IMO sara

[SaraSidle]

I really really hate to be negative but is anyone thinking sharks or drugs? IMo sara

[One2Snoop]

I really really hate to be negative but is anyone thinking sharks or drugs? IMo sara

Aren't athletes drug tested on a regular basis these days? Maybe it was fatigue, hypothermia then sharks?

[old_soul]

It was more like F-E-A-R. They were scared schitless, probably of the sharks, but they also stayed in the water those first hours. Doctors have explained, you loose body heat rapidly if you stay in the water, as opposed to getting off and on the boat like Schuyler did. Hypothermia, and becoming delusional IMO probably let to them actually taking off the life vests and letting themselves drift out to sea. How very very sad!!!!

It's a horrible and sad thought, that you're thinking you have no other choice but to die like that. One other thought he had seen a shore light, and took off his vest to swim 'back'.......

<<<sigh>>>>

:rose::rose::rose::rose:

[samanthajane13]

NFL players may have died hours after boat toppled
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO, Associated Press Writer Christine Armario, Associated Press Writer – Tue Mar 17, 3:44 am ET

TAMPA, Fla. – Two NFL players may have died just a few hours after their fishing boat capsized in rough seas and possibly before rescuers were even alerted that they and two others were lost off the west coast of Florida, according to Coast Guard records.

The lone survivor, Nick Schuyler, told the Coast Guard that one by one, the other three men took off their life vests and disappeared during the ordeal that began the evening of Feb. 28, according to a 23-page report provided to The Associated Press Monday under a Freedom of Information Act request.

The Coast Guard report, which redacts the men's names, says the group went roughly 70 miles — or 62 nautical miles — to fish for amberjack. Besides the 24-year-old Schuyler, also aboard the 21-foot Everglades boat were Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith, who played for the Detroit Lions last season, and former University of South Florida player William Bleakley. The bodies of Cooper, Smith and Bleakley have not been recovered.

Around 5:30 p.m., the report said the group ran into trouble: Their anchor was stuck. Schuyler told investigators that he believed it was caught in a coral reef and they tried to free it, but water filled the boat and it capsized.

Tossed into the frigid water, the men managed to grab their life vests. Schuyler, also a former South Florida player, said they held on to the boat for four hours. But as the night wore on, their will to survive appears to have weakened and the effects of hypothermia were likely setting in.

Schuyler told the Coast Guard that one of the men "freaked out" and took off his life vest and disappeared that night.

Another started getting unruly, throwing punches and later took off his life jacket, dove under the water and was never seen again. The third man thought he saw land nearly two days after the boat capsized and decided to swim for it.

That man said his life jacket was too tight and he took it off, Schuyler told the Coast Guard.

Officials have said they found three life jackets: one on Schuyler, another near the boat and a third underneath.

It's unclear how accurate the account is. Schuyler, who was found clinging to the overturned boat about 35 miles off Clearwater and nearly 48 hours after the accident, was suffering from hypothermia and he has provided different accounts to the men's relatives. For example, Bleakley's family said Schuyler told them that their son held on to the boat with his college teammate until he weakened and died. Schuyler has also said that Bleakley helped him survive by talking to him and encouraging him during their last night together.

Marquis Cooper's father has questioned Schuyler's account that his son removed his life jacket. Schuyler has not responded to interview requests.

As time passed, their relatives grew worried because the group was expected home around sunset. One of the men's relatives contacted the Coast Guard around 1:30 a.m. on March 1 and a search began.

Records document the Coast Guard's repeated attempts — and frustrations — as rescuers tried to find the small white boat in a stormy sea with heavy cloud cover and whitecaps making it tough to spot.

One person who called the Coast Guard reported that one of the men, presumably Cooper, had one week left before he was expected in California for football practice. The caller, whose name was redacted from the report, said the group "could have possibly tried to go farther out to fish."

One of the men's wives was able to find a handheld GPS device that he had left at home and had apparently used in previous trips to record the coordinates of favorite fishing spots. The Coast Guard used that data to refine their search, placing the likely location of the men about 10 nautical miles south of their expected destination.

The Coast Guard contacted the men's cell phone companies for help tracking their whereabouts, without success. They also sent them text messages, stating that, "the CG is looking for you request you to contact us immediately."

"Being that these guys are inexperienced, don't look just at 50 NM offshore, there might be a possibility that they wisened up and stayed close to shore, at least within visual of land," a Coast Guard officer wrote in one e-mail.

The same e-mail added that, "It might be worth considering getting the story out to media earlier than later more people on the lookout both on land and water."

During the search, the Coast Guard reported 14-foot seas offshore and wind gusts up to 30 mph.

More than 24 hours after starting their search, a sign of hope finally emerged.

The Coast Guard cutter Tornado spotted Schuyler, looking small in the vast ocean and clinging to the boat's hull.

At Tampa General Hospital, Schuyler's doctor called it a "miracle" that he survived in the 63-degree Gulf water for nearly two days, and said he probably could have lived only another five to 10 hours.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_re_us/missing_boaters_nfl