Massive search suspended for 4 missing boaters from Venice. Here's what we know Tuesday
The search has been suspended for four Florida men whose boat went missing in the rain Saturday night and never returned, according to the Venice Police Department.
By Monday morning multiple agencies had searched over 4,600 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico for the boaters, who left for a boating trip from Venice Inlet on Saturday, Feb. 17. The U.S. Coast Guard posted on X, formerly Twitter, just after 10 a.m. Monday that the search was ongoing.
"The U.S. Coast Guard officially suspended the search at 8 p.m. for the four missing boaters out of Venice, pending any new information," the VPD posted on Facebook Monday evening. "The men's relatives have been notified."
Here's what we know.
When did the four Florida boaters go missing?
The men left from the Marina Park Boat Ramp, near the Historic Venice Train Depot, around 8 a.m. Saturday morning, according to the VPD.
Family members contacted police Sunday morning and officers found the men's vehicle and boat trailer still at the park, VPD Capt. Andy Leisenring said in a press conference Monday.
"They did not leave what we call a float plan," Leisenring said. "So they did not tell the family members exactly where they were going and so, of course that does hinder our search efforts a little bit.
"We have to estimate our starting point and then adjust our search," Leisenring said. The family has provided some information about the boaters' usual habits, he said.
How did the Florida boaters go missing?
While there's no way to be certain at this point, the weather may have been an issue. While the rain was light yesterday, the fog in the afternoon and rougher weather in the evening may have been a factor, Leisenring said.
"Going into overnight and into Sunday, the winds picked up, the seas picked up, of course it's been raining most of that time," he said. "Even now the conditions are roughly 4- to 6-foot seas so it's not very safe to be out there for a small vessel."
Captain Steven Stasko with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said conditions out on the water were not favorable for searchers. "I think we're in the 5- to 6-foot sea condition range," he said, "and those waves add disturbance on the water line which makes it difficult to see anything, really. That's where our air assets are very helpful."
What are the names of the Florida boaters who went missing?
The men were identified as:
Angel Hernandez Munoz, 38, of North Port
Ruben Mora Sr., 54, of Port Charlotte
Julio Cesar Cordero Briones, 37, of North Port
Alfonso Vargas Parra, 35, of North Port.
What kind of boat were the missing boaters in?
The boat is a 1995 23-foot white SportCraft, registration # FL9937HC.
Where is the search for the missing Florida boaters?
People from the Venice Police Department's Marine Patrol, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, the Sarasota Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Venice Fire Rescue, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the FWC and SEATO of Venice searched the Gulf of Mexico from Sarasota County south into Collier.
The U.S. Coast Guard searched areas nine miles offshore and beyond, Leisenring said, using multiple boats, aircraft and helicopters and going out to 80 nautical miles (just over 92 miles).
Who to call if you see the missing Florida boaters
Anyone with information is urged to contact VPD Detective Courtney Zak at 941-486-2444, U.S. Coast Guard St. Petersburg at Sector St. Pete at 866-881-1392, email czak@venicefl.gov, or use radio Channel 16 VHF.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Missing Florida boaters: Coast Guard suspends search Monday evening
