Sunday, March 1, 2009

Developing: Lions Player Missing in Gulf Coast

There is a breaking news report of a Lions player, and two other NFL players, missing off the Gulf Coast. Please keep the players, and their families in your prayers. Please post comments updating if you hear any more news!! [I'll be updatign as news comes in - last 12:19 pm]

Tom Kowalski indicated on the Mlive Lions Forum that the Lions are aware of the report and are attempting to contact all of their players to make sure they are okay, and to try to figure out who is missing, and what is going on.

Official Coast Guard Release:

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Coast Guard is searching for four missing boaters 50 miles west of Clearwater Pass, since about 2 a.m. Sunday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., received a call at about 1: 30 a.m., Sunday, reporting that three friends did not return from their fishing trip as expected. Four boaters left at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday, from the Seminole Boat Ramp in Clearwater Pass, in a 21-foot center console boat. The reporting source later updated the information and confirmed there are four people aboard the vessel.

A Coast Guard 47-foot motor-life boat crew from Station Sand Key, Fla., HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and C-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, and the Coast Guard CutterCrocodile are searching a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass. An Urgent Mariner Information Broadcast (UMIB) is also being transmitted on marine VHF radio channel 16.

If anyone has any information regarding this case they are asked to call Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at 727-824-7506, or by marine VHF radio channel 16.

another dispatch from Clearwater FL:

CLEARWATER, FL -- The Coast Guard is searching for a missing fishing boat about 50 miles off-shore in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to Coast Guard officials, the 21-foot fishing boat left from a boat ramp in Clearwater Pass Saturday about 6:30 am with 4 people on board.

A dispatcher told ABC Action News 3 of them are NFL players. One of the plays for the Detroit Lions, and one plays for the Oakland Raiders, the dispatcher said.

The boaters were supposed to return sometime after dark but never did, officials said. A friend called the Coast Guard at about 1:30 am and reported them missing.

Officials say the waters in the gulf are extremely choppy and they believe the boat is in distress.
Air and marine crews from the Sand Key and Clearwater Coast Guard stations are searching a 750 square mile area west of Clearwater Pass.

Again, keep players and families in your prayers, and hopefully they are found okay.

12:19 pm - Boat is registered to Marquis Cooper of the Oakland Raiders, Per NFL on Sirius Satellite Radio.

12:25 - Tampa Tribune is saying Corey Smith, Nick Skyler, Victor Cooper, one other. That is not confirmed, no link at this point. However, I saw where the coast guard is reporting the players as Victor "Marquis" Cooper, Nick Skyler, Corey Smith.

2 comments:

CHIEFGER139 said...

having lost my daughter recently=
hope big time smith is ok-killer just posted we should sign him again-sorry i over looked him because coach rod had him below both fisher and robinson-killer had a good article on how the coaches may have disreguarded him-doesnt matter all these guys are human beings and gods children and im sure have ones who care about them tremendously-hope and pray all are ok!!

CHIEFGER139 said...

now see its corry smith our de-sorry for the mix up-so many smiths-still i hope all is well-know this effects us all-hope is all ok and they find these young men-love to fish-have did it at my lake where i live-kind of like the river-the ocean -lake michigan-supperior huron and erie-i know every time you go out theres huge risk-water takes lives every year-have fallen through the ice a few times my self-as early as last year to save my dog-hope is all well we these guys and they find them-hope most of all they had on life jackets etc-so they can be found-keep us up with this story detfan79-we take football too serious sometimes this hits home big time-i know now-lost a daughter a step mother all my grand parents-we over look this-so enjoy each day with the ones you love and who really matter in your life-this life on earth is temporary-and before you know it a loved one is gone even before you had the chance to say good bye-life isnt fair-but is so precious enjoy it while you can-sined the wize chief!!