Missing Florida Teens’ Boat Found Off Bermuda Coast Nine Months After Disappearance, iPhone May Provide Clues


Two 14-year-old boys from Jupiter, Florida, went missing last summer after heading out on a fishing trip. The two teens, Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, were last seen at 1.30 p.m. on July 24, 2015 when they went out on a fishing excursion without adult supervision. While the boys were just 14, their parents note that they had grown up on the water and were “experienced fishermen.” As the boys headed out, a summer storm quickly rolled into the area, and their parents became concerned when the pair did not return to the shore that night as planned. The U.S. Coast Guard set out to find the missing teens and discovered the boys’ boat capsized 67 miles off the shore of Daytona Beach two days after their disappearance. However, before the boat could be towed back into shore, it drifted away and would remain missing for nine months.

The Daily Mail reports that the boat of two missing Florida teens has finally been found off the coast of Bermuda nearly nine months after the teens went missing. The teens’ families hope that personal items that remained on the boat, such as one teen’s iPhone, will provide clues as to what happened to the boys. The rescue efforts began back on July 24, 2015, after two 14-year-old boys, Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, failed to return back to shore from a fishing trip. The two boys went out on the trip without adult supervision but reportedly had $110 worth of fuel on the 19-foot boat upon leaving.

After two days of searching, the U.S. Coast Guard made a grim discovery. The teens’ boat was found capsized 67 miles off the coast of Daytona Beach. The boat’s coordinates were charted, and a tow vehicle was sent to bring the boat back to shore. However, before the boat could be retrieved, it would drift away and remain missing for nine months. The teens are presumed dead as their bodies have never been recovered. However, the teens’ families have not given up hope and call the efforts an “open missing persons case.”

According to Local 15 News, Perry’s mom Pamela Cohen says she hopes that the Coast Guard will reopen her son’s case and try to “extrapolate” data from an iPhone that was recovered from the missing boat.

“This is an open Missing Persons case, and we hope that FWC reopens their investigation and utilizes the expert resources of other government agencies as well as the private sector if necessary to extrapolate the data from the recovered iPhone.”

https://www.facebook.com/pamela.t.cohen/posts/10209244355646921?pnref=story

Since Perry Cohen went missing, his mother Pamela has actively been advocating for boater safety at local schools and organizations. She frequently posts about her son and is hoping that the iPhone will bring closure to the missing persons case. Pamela has created the Perry J. Cohen Foundation in honor of her son which focuses on providing boater education to youth.

“The mission of the foundation is to create awareness and education for all individuals around the safe enjoyment of recreational boating, fishing, and water sports. The goal of the foundation is to facilitate a deeper connection between America’s youth and proper boating safety standards. Through interactive education and enhanced safety awareness, the foundation will seek to empower youth to take a preemptive lifesaving approach to boater safety: to instill smart decision making skills that will last a lifetime. “

https://www.facebook.com/pamela.t.cohen/posts/10209192762477124?pnref=story

As part of the organization’s boater safety efforts, the nonprofit works closely with the U.S. Coast Guard to provide educational opportunities to Florida youth. Recently, Pamela revealed that almost 500 new students will be trained by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotillas thanks to the Perry J. Cohen Foundation.

“The Perry J. Cohen Foundation will 100% sponsor and educate almost 500 new students in the next three months under the direction of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotillas through South Florida.”

https://www.facebook.com/pamela.t.cohen/posts/10209205186907727?pnref=story

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