THE wife of a lawyer who disappeared alongside his uncle has revealed a theory that could explain how their empty boat was found 70 miles offshore with the engine still running.

The uncle-and-nephew duo vanished during a fishing trip in Florida under what officials have described as unusual circumstances.Two men, one in a gray Huk shirt and the other in an orange Huk shirt, standing on a boat.

Uncle and nephew, Randall Spivey, 57, and Brandon Billmaier, 33, were last seen on December 19 on their boatCredit: WPBFBrandon Billmaier and a woman smiling for a photo.

Brandon’s wife Deborah said the boat is named “Unstoppable,” and it was found about 70 miles offshore around 12 amCredit: WPBFBrandon Billmaier and his partner.

Deborah revealed Brandon’s final text to her: “I love you, and I’ll see you tonight. I’ll be back home tonight.”Credit: WPBFA white boat with green side markings on dark water.

Coast Guard believes one man fell overboard and the other went in after him, not realizing the engine was still runningCredit: WPBF
Randall Spivey, 57, and Brandon Billmaier, 33, were last seen on December 19 before they never made it back.

They were reported overdue to Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at 8 pm, authorities said.

Just after midnight, a Coast Guard helicopter spotted their boat adrift and still in gear about 70 miles west of Fort Myers.

The men were nowhere on board.

Deborah revealed his final text to her: “I love you, and I’ll see you tonight. I’ll be back home tonight,” ABC affiliate WPBF reported.

The boat is named “Unstoppable,” and it was found about 70 miles offshore around 12 am, according to the account shared by Billmaier’s wife, Deborah Billmaier.

Deborah said the Coast Guard believes one man fell overboard and the other went in after him, not realizing the engine was still running.

“So they jumped in the water, and the boat was still going, kept moving away from them,” Deborah explained.

“There was no way the two men could catch up to the moving 42-foot boat,” she added.

Both men were attorneys, and Billmaier was Spivey’s nephew, according to the Shiner Law Group.

David I. Shiner of the Shiner Law Group in Boca Raton confirmed Billmaier was a trial attorney at the firm.

Deborah said the two families were inseparable, often traveling and fishing together, and Brandon had followed his uncle into law.

She said Brandon hoped to eventually join Spivey’s firm.

Billmaier was born in Ohio and raised in Michigan, according to his bio on the firm’s website.

He earned his bachelor’s degree, Juris Doctor, and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Toledo.

Away from work, he enjoyed fishing and lobstering in the Florida Keys, played pickleball, and focused on a healthy lifestyle, the bio said.

Deborah reflected on how they met in 2020, saying, “Our love story, it’s pretty incredible we met in 2020.”

“From the moment I first met him, the way he speaks, carries himself, talks about others, cares about others, it’s just something indescribable,” she said.

Now 31, Deborah said she keeps thinking about their last dinner together on a slow Thursday night: “You know, sometimes just those simple moments are the best.”

She said she believes the Coast Guard did everything possible, and finds comfort in the idea that he spent his final hours doing what he loved.

“He loved fishing,” she said. “He lived for it, he lived for his family, for me.”

Family statement

Since Friday, when this tragic event occurred, the United States Coast Guard—together with agencies from Collier County, Lee County, the Florida Guard, the military, and many other organizations—have combined forces using the most advanced technology and equipment available. The search effort has covered an area larger than the entire state of Connecticut.

In a private briefing with Coast Guard leadership, the family was informed that, given the enormous amount of time, resources, and strategic effort focused on the most logical search areas, there is the highest degree of confidence that if Randy and Brandon were on the surface of the water, they would have been found. With that understanding, the Coast Guard has advised the family that as of sundown today, the active search must be suspended. While this is heartbreaking, the family is certain this is the correct decision and holds the deepest respect, gratitude, and acceptance for it.

Randy was an attorney helping those who were injured, for over 30 years. Likewise, following in his uncle’s footsteps, Brandon was also an attorney advocating for those who were injured as well. Few people were more concerned about the safety of innocent people than Randy and Brandon. We know—without question—that they would reach the same conclusion as the experts: that everything possible has been done. They would ask that this decision be respected and that the bravery and heroism of those who searched—those in the air and on the water doing the real, dangerous work—be honored.

This is incredibly difficult for the family and for everyone hoping for a different outcome. We respectfully ask that the decision to suspend the search be honored, both from a professional agency standpoint and from a volunteer standpoint. The search area, which is now more than 100 miles offshore, continues to move west and farther from shore, creating increasing risk, and it is no longer safe to ask volunteers to put themselves in serious danger. For those who know Randy and Brandon, there is no doubt this is exactly how they would feel.

The family asks for your compassion, understanding, and support during this unimaginably difficult time. We love you all.