Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier disappeared off Fort Myers coast, boat found running 70 miles offshore
Two attorneys have vanished off the coast of Florida during a routine fishing trip, prompting one wife to share that she is “heartbroken” following her husband and his uncle’s disappearance in Fort Myers, Florida.
Randall Spivey, 57, and his 33-year-old nephew Brandon Billmaier left before dawn on Friday, Dec. 19, heading out from Fort Myers aboard a 42-foot Freeman fishing boat. Family members say the men were familiar with the waters and planned to be back the same day.
When evening came and there was no word from either man, concern quickly escalated, prompting Billmaier’s wife, Deborah, to contact the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). By late Friday night, the USCG launched an emergency response, sending aircraft to search the Gulf.
“I am heartbroken posting this. My husband, Brandon, went out fishing yesterday with his uncle off the coast of Fort Myers,” Deborah wrote in an Instagram post. “They left early in the morning on Friday, Dec. 19 and were meant to come back that afternoon.”
Brandon Billmaier, 33, went missing while fishing off the coast of Florida with his uncle, Randall Spivey. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
In the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 20, the boat was found drifting roughly 70 miles off the coast.
“The helicopter has continued searching throughout the night. As the sun rises, we are looking for additional help in the search efforts. If you or someone you know can help, please reach out to us,” she wrote. “If you cannot, please keep them in your prayers as we continue to have faith that we will find them.”
The boat that missing fishermen Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew, Brandon Billmaier, 33, were on was found empty. (U.S. Coast Guard Sector St Petersburg)
A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District said that the boat was still running when it was found, but both men were nowhere to be found.
“The boat was in gear,” Riley Perkofski said. “We deployed a swimmer, and then the swimmer deployed the vessel’s anchor so that it wouldn’t keep moving.”
The Coast Guard said that they found that the boat’s transmitter, known as an emergency position-indicating radio beacon, was still on the vessel.
Randall Spivey, 57, is 6-foot-1 and was last seen in khaki pants and a dark-colored shirt. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
The Coast Guard and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) continue coordinated air and sea searches across the Gulf of Mexico. Authorities are asking anyone who may know the whereabouts of Spivey and Billmaier to contact the LCSO at 239-477-1000, or 911. They can also contact SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS to remain anonymous.
Spivey was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark-colored shirt. He has brown hair and brown eyes and is 6’1″, weighing 245 pounds. Billmaier is 6’2″ and weighs 250 pounds. He has strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes.
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