NFL Player & Former Wolfpacker Lost At Sea
March 2, 2009
Former North Carolina State University star and current Detroit Lions defensive end Corey Smith is missing after the boat he was on failed to return from a fishing trip to the gulf. Weather on Saturday turned “choppy” and were less then ideal especially for the small boat they were on.
CLEARWATER, FLA. — The Coast Guard searched off Florida’s Gulf Coast on Sunday for a fishing boat carrying NFL players Corey Smith and Marquis Cooper and two other men missing nearly a day in choppy seas.
Smith, a former N.C. State standout and defensive end for the Detroit Lions, and Cooper, an Oakland Raiders linebacker, were on a 21-foot vessel that left Clearwater Pass for a fishing trip Saturday morning and did not return as expected, the Coast Guard said Sunday. Crews used a helicopter and an 87-foot ship to search a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass, but poor weather made the search difficult. Officials did not receive a distress signal from the missing craft.
Cooper owns the boat, and he and Smith have been on fishing trips before, said Ron Del Duca, Smith’s agent. The pair had been teammates on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. Two others were aboard: Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler, both former University of South Florida players.
Coast Guard Capt. Timothy M. Close said the weather early Saturday had been fair but worsened toward the evening as a front, still battering the area, moved in. The National Weather Service said seas were about 2 to 4 feet Saturday morning and increased to 3 to 5 feet in the afternoon. Late Saturday, a small craft advisory was issued, when winds were around 20 knots and seas were up to 7 feet or more. There were no thunderstorms in the area.
Close said the men were traveling in a boat manufactured by Everglades. At least one of the men was an experienced boater, and relatives provided the Coast Guard with GPS coordinates from previous fishing expeditions.
Close said there was no communication with the men even before the weather started to pick up. They were expected home by early evening. No sign of them or the boat had been spotted by late Sunday afternoon. Relatives told the Coast Guard the men had lifejackets and flares onboard.
The US Coast Guard is continuing to search for the missing men. Hopefully they’ll be found safe and sound real soon. We’ll post updates when they are available.
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