JUPITER, Fla., Aug. 4 (UPI) — The 19-foot-boat used by two Florida teens who went missing at sea some 10 days ago is also missing now.
The capsized boat was found July 26, near Daytona Beach, Fla., days after best friends Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, were last seen leaving the Jupiter Inlet. When the boat was found, the Coast Guard made a quick inspection to find signs of the missing boys and left it unsecured.
When a salvage crew from TowBoatUS went to retrieve it, it was gone. The Coast Guard said it does not normally tow boats to shore.
“Our priorities were saving lives, not rescuing property,” Coast Guard spokesman Anthony Soto said.
The boys disappeared July 24 while on a fishing trip. Friends said the teens were headed to the Bahamas, but their parents said they were only allowed to boat in the nearby waters. The Coast Guard searched some 50,000 square nautical miles before calling it off Friday.
The family has collected more than $465,000 in the seven days since a GoFundMe campaign was launched to cover expenses for private search efforts.
