Coast Guard suspends search for missing NFL players

[Stinger]

Coast Guard searching for missing boat with NFL players

Reported by: Chad Cookler
Email: ccookler@abcactionnews.com
Last Update: 11:18 am

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.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/lo...SanyO4BZA.cspx

[memyselfI]

St. Petersburg Times is reporting that the survivor told authorities that the three missing men took off their life vests 3-5 hours after the boat capsized and 'drifted away.'

This story is getting weird.

[MOhillbilly]

heard an account a few years back from a sailor who was aboard the uss indianapolis. he said some of the crewmen got the idea in there heads that if they dived down below the thermocline the water would be fresh and ok to drink.

[munkey]

Originally Posted by MOhillbilly

heard an account a few years back from a sailor who was aboard the uss indianapolis. he said some of the crewmen got the idea in there heads that if they dived down below the thermocline the water would be fresh and ok to drink.

Yep...you get the whole story of the Indianapolis on shark week's explorer.

A lot of them drank salt water...that's some nasty stuff...

[B_Ambuehl]

edit: Found the video link: http://www.coldwaterbootcamp.com/pag...campersv2.html . These people were in 42 degree water. The guy at the right of the first row, towards the end when he does his second attempt, tries to put on a life jacket after he's already in the water. The guy rescued by the CG had said one of the others had swam under the boat to retrieve the lifejackets. There's a very good chance they never actually got them on-- hence why the found one floating with the cooler.

Interesting site. If you take a look at the chart at the bottom of this page they show how long it takes for hypothermia to set in under various temperatures and body types:

http://www.coldwaterbootcamp.com/pages/1_10_60v2.html

A tall lean male in water around 65 degrees (~16 celsius) might last less only ~4 hours, but a fatter individual might last 25 hours.