Florida Teens Missing at Sea: What We Know About Their Survival Skills
The teens' boat was found Sunday.
— -- The families of two teenage boys who are missing off the Florida coast after they set out three days ago on a fishing trip said they are confident that their sons have the skills to survive at sea.
The boat belonging to Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, was found capsized and damaged 67 nautical miles off the Ponce de Leon Inlet on Sunday, the Coast Guard said. Neither boy was in or around the boat.
The boys left on a fishing trip Friday morning and were reported missing Friday evening. As of early Monday morning, the search for the boys had covered 26,000 nautical square miles, the Coast Guard said.
“Currently we have searched the area the size of the state of Indiana,” Petty Officer 1st Class Stephen Lehmann, Public Information Officer for the Coast Guard, said today.
As the search continues, here's what we know about the teens' survival skills and potential supplies.
Boating licenses:
“Both boys have their boaters certification,” said Pamela Cohen, Perry's mother.
Boating experience:
Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath, a neighbor of the families who's known the boys for years, said Sunday, "I know they know what they’re doing."
“Austin’s been sharp and on the water a good while. Perry is just as sharp as can be," Namath said.
"Perry has been on a boat really since he was seven," said Pamela Cohen.
"Austin, this is his fourth boat," said Carly Black, Austin's mother. "He's been around boats since before he could walk."
Perry's stepfather, Nick Korniloff, added, "I have all the confidence in Austin and his abilities to operate a boat."
The boys may have a life jacket:
Their recovered boat was missing one personal flotation device as well as the boat cover, according to ABC affiliate WPBF.
Korniloff said Sunday they don’t know how much food and water the boys have, but insisted the boys "know what they're doing out there."
"From my understanding, the boys are avid fisherman. They've been fishing their whole entire lives," Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Barney said. "But at the same time, they're still 14-years old."
A $100,000 reward has been issued for their safe return, Korniloff said.
"We are positive that our boys are still out there," Korniloff said. "We’ll do anything to get our children back."