Missing Boaters- An Ongoing Saga of Bickering and Unsubstantiated Accusations

[Bigcypresshunter]

http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating...haulover-bimini-12-dec-09-urgent-callout.html

The Coast Guard is actively searching for two missing boaters. Two persons (a Hispanic male, Rich Alicea and an African American male, Edwin Pritchard) onboard a 17' Key Largo (FL7696LC) with a 2001 Yamaha 115 outboard. The Vessel departed Haulover Marina Saturday, Dec 12 for a day of fishing offshore Bimini however has not yet returned. (the truck/trailer are still at the marina) It is our expectation that they would have had to pull into Bimini to refuel. ANY VESSELS with additional information (If you believe you may have seen this vessel in or around Bimini) PLEASE contact the Coast Guard Sector Miami immediately at 305-535-4472.

What makes this story particularily interesting is that apparently they were spotted Sunday on an island with SOS written in the sand and have yet to be rescued. Where did they go? Why didnt they wait? What happened to them? Hopefully they were able to collect fresh water because it has been raining but how long can they survive?

 

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[Tnmountains]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

Is that your area ? Hope they find them.,.,

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

Is that your area ? Hope they find them.,.,

Yes, I donr know them but they left from Miami. Its been on the news everyday. The family is pleading for help.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

This is not a very good picture but an airplane circled a deserted island taking pictures from a thousand feet on Sunday. This is one of several pictures of two men frantically waving their arms and a large SOS was written in the sand. Coast Guard went to the island Monday but couldnt find them. http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating...ulover-bimini-12-dec-09-urgent-callout-6.html

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

Heres a video and a bunch of bickering.. http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI139069/

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

It appears the two missing boaters have not been found and the family is still hoping for a rescue but its been almost week since they were spotted on the deserted island. It has been raining hard so they may have collected fresh water. Here is a pic of the island. The second pic shows 2 men with SOS written in the sand below. The men were waving frantically and are believed to be the missing Miami boaters. The Coast Guard searched the island and cant find them. What could have happened? http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating...lover-bimini-12-dec-09-urgent-callout-14.html

 

[Tubecity]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

I hope they find them & all is OK. Some may think it's silly, but that area gives me the creeps. Read too
many books on that area. But why would anyone go that far offshore in so small a boat ? I still have a
small Sea Ray & I would never take that out of the bays of Lake Erie. Regardless, hope they survive this.

 

[godisnum1]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

I really hope they find them as well... alive...

Bimini, there's something peculiar about that place.

Bran <><

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

I hope they find them & all is OK. Some may think it's silly, but that area gives me the creeps. Read too
many books on that area. But why would anyone go that far offshore in so small a boat ? I still have a
small Sea Ray & I would never take that out of the bays of Lake Erie. Regardless, hope they survive this.

It appears that one of the men had family in Bimini and they were going to visit. They had made the crossing several times before but always in the Summer. They were expected to arrive last Saturday. I would have NEVER attempted that trip in an 18 foot boat. The real mystery here is why they were not rescued. They were spotted on the deserted island Sunday. The Coast Guard searched Monday. Today is Saturday. Did the Coast Guard get the wrong island? You would think the plane that spotted them would have taken GPS coordinates. The family is frantic. The family watched them, waving to the plane circling above, on TV.



Most of the "accidents" in the Bermuda Triangle are concentrated along the southern boundary around the Bahamas and the Florida Straits. http://www.crystalinks.com/bermuda_triangle.html

 

[DigginThePast]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

What a bizarre situation. Hopefully everything turns out okay.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

What a bizarre situation. Hopefully everything turns out okay.

I think its extremely bizarre. WSVN Channel 7 News Miami is the only station carrying the story. They showed the children and family crying and pleading for help. I think we are missing something. Im going to watch the Ch 7 news at 10 tonight. We had severe rainstorms and flooding here yesterday and it took all the coverage.


More bickering and fingerpointing. http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI139158/

They were stranded most likely on Saturday. They were spotted on Sunday. For some reason the Coast Guard seems not to have received the location until Tuesday night and not able to search the island until Wednesday. You can live without food for quite some time but water is the most urgent need. After being spotted, they may have attempted something after spending 3 nights and no rescue. The best thing to do would have been to stay put but I think you would need to obtain water in 3 days time. They may even be victims of modern day pirates.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

The search has been called off. This one that could have been a happy ending, was not. It remains a mystery. The family, of course, has not given up hope. They held a candlelight vigil last night and asked for anyone that can bring these pics into better focus or help in any other way. I remember a Cuban group "Brothers to the Rescue" that searched the Florida straights for Cuban rafters. I dont know if they are still doing it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothers_to_the_Rescue


http://translate.google.com/transla...m.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7GGLR_en

 

[godisnum1]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

That's so unfortunate... I wish there would have been a way for some T-Net guys to head out there with their boats and give a good search of those islands. It's just weird that it doesn't seem like much was done in the way of finding them... and why didn't that plane that took the reconnaissance photos just circle around until coast guard or someone could intercept the two stranded men? It just seems weird that they were able to get photos, then can't find a trace of them. Maybe the men were exploring the island or trying to survive (in homemade huts to block the sun) when rescue came to "search" for them?

Bran <><

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

Family holds vigil for missing boaters. Video here: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI139242/

 

[FloridaTreasureFinder]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

One of the first things I thought of was FIRE!! I guess the men were not able to set up a fire?? What about high tide? I don't know if high tide can hide the little island?? It may have enough elevation to avoid going completely under??

If I was their family, I wouldn't give up hope either. I don't see why coast guard would call off search?? They couldn't find them on the island?? Did they have feet on the ground looking for them?

I don't know? But I hope they are found. Another reminder to always have a survival bag kit with you at all times.. you never know?.

skt

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

I dont know all the details but by the time the Coast Guard got the message and on the ground it was 3 days later. The men were no longer on the island. He supposedly had survival gear on the boat but the boat was not seen. We have had rainstorms so they could have collected fresh water and still be alive. Maybe after 3 days they became impatient and tried to swim to a larger or a populated island. It was suggested that they were victims of robbery, left on the island to die. Maybe the sea pirates went back to the island and removed them after seeing it on the news.

High tide may have removed the SOS but by looking at the vegetation I would think they are above the highest tide.

I find it highly unlikely that these were not the same men.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

The yellow arrows point to the SOS on the beach and the 2 men. Did anybody notice this square item. Is that floatsam, part of their boat, a large crate or remains of a small building? There could be all kinds of driftwood on the island for fire. I hope they didnt try to build a raft. I am now thinking this is the most likely scenario. 3 days after being spotted and no rescue, being young and impatient, they probably tried to swim or float on a makeshift raft. They may have been caught in the storm that rolled in. It was the most rain the South Florida area had in years. If they had known a storm was coming, they could have hunkered down in a makeshift shelter and collected fresh water.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

I think this ones over. If I was family, I would want to go out to that island, now. Its not far from Miami and I would think they could get a safe ride out for under a thousand dollars. I would want to see the place were they were last seen for some closure. I would search for some kind of note or carving or personal item left behind, to try to make some sense of what happened.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

it make no sense that they would leave the Island if they knew they had been spotted...didn't the fly over give them some kind of symbol that they could see them wave their wings or anything... has anyone found out why it took so long to report that they had been spotted? LOTS of unanswered questions.

The plane circled letting them know they had been spotted. They spent 3 nights before the Coast Guard came looking so it is possible that they had to leave the small island in search of fresh water or being young they may have became restless.. I may even have become restless myself if I spent 3 nights after being spotted. At some point you would think they are not coming.

I dont know if the chartered plane reported the SOS immediately or not. Lots of unanswered questions.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: Missing in the Bermuda Triangle

A family member ROXY214 speaks up here. http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating...lover-bimini-12-dec-09-urgent-callout-16.html

It appears a radio station Power 96 flew the family out to the island. The original pilot spoke to the family directly and says he reported it to the authorities immediately. Her words are in blue.





At this point we are ALL scratching our heads!!

Thanks to DJ Laz From Power 96 we were able to have family members go out to the island and check for themselves if the two men were there or not. Also we want to thank the pilot that spotted them, he has also turned out to be a great help, helping us in anyway he can.

This weekend has been a crazy twist for us, like many on this site we are also very confused. The pilot spoke to us directly, he mentioned he went around the island around 12:00pm & 2:00pm on Sunday, As soon as he arrived he gave the information to authorities, they claim to have sent someone out to check the area, but they were no longer there. By the time the USCG went out of course they also said they didn’t see anyone either.

NOW THIS IS WHERE I SCRATCH MY HEAD, From 2:00pm – later Sunday evening where could they have gone? Someone HAD TO HAVE PICKED THEM UP! Think about it, if your stranded on an island, you know you were spotted, YOUR NOT GOING TO MOVE! Your going to stay right there until help comes back. But in those couple of hours all of the sudden they’re not there?

I DON’T GET IT!

Then there’s a story about a boat found, they tell one of the family members it was a 23 ft boat, they tell another family member it was a 30ft boat & they just recently told the pilot it was a 17ft boat. The stories they are giving us are just not matching.

SOMETHING IS WRONG!

As you know, the CG called off the search so now its left up to us to keep doing our own research and trying to find any contacts possible to help us get to the bottom of things.

They were there Sunday at 2:00 THERES PROOF OF THAT! Where could they have gone before sundown that same day?

AND WHERES THE BOAT? How can you spot missing boaters on a little piece of Island before you can spot any signs of a boat.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or any contacts you think we should reach out to, please advise.

THANK YOU!
ROXY