Florida Missing Teens: Coast Guard Weighs In On Survival Chances Of Teens Missing Off Boat In Florida

As day two continues in the search for two Florida missing teens, everyone is hoping for the best. On Monday, a U.S. Coast Guard official explained what the chances are of Austin Sephanos and Perry Cohen surviving.

According to ABC News, Coast Guard Captain, Mark Fedor, spoke at a press conference Monday afternoon about what the two 14-year-old boys could overcome… and for how long.

Fedor says that the teenagers who got lost at sea off the coast of Florida could survive about 4 or 5 days in present water conditions. Where the two went missing is “relatively warm,” but it’s still dangerous. Fedor used survivability charts in his press conference, but didn’t reveal much more than that. Fedor hopes that the missing Florida teens might be hanging on with a lifejacket or a cooler, both of which were on-board the boat they were in.

Austin and Perry were last seen on Friday after set out on a fishing trip. Their boat was found capsized on Sunday off the cost of the Ponce de Leon Inlet that’s located in central Florida. There weren’t any signs of the two boys anywhere when the damaged boat was discovered.

It’s unknown at this point why the boat capsized and teens went missing. The good news is, however, that the boat being located where it was indicates that the Coast Guard’s search strategy tells them they’re searching in the right area. As of midnight Monday, over 27,000 square miles will have been covered in the search for Austin Sephanos and Perry Cohen. Fedor adds that this is equivalent to the size of West Virginia.

In the meantime, families of the victims are going through their worst nightmare. Austin’s mother, Carly Black, told WPBF-TV how horrible the wait has been.

“That’s not what you want to hear — that the boat capsized. You want to hear that your boys are on the boat.”

Perry’s mother, Pamela Cohen, is going through more than her share of emotional turmoil as the search moves forward for the Florida missing teens.

“We’re experiencing the same roller coaster of emotions. Not even on an hourly basis. I think it can be minute by minute.”

Investigators are asking for the public’s help with information on the missing Florida teens who went fishing on their boat. They’re asking the public to keep an eye out for debris, clothing, or anything else that could assist them in the search for Austin Sephanos and Perry Cohen.

[Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard]