In a distressing turn of events, two lawyers have disappeared while on a routine fishing excursion off Florida’s coast. This has left one wife devastated as her husband and his uncle remain missing after setting out from Fort Myers, Florida.
Randall Spivey, aged 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, embarked before sunrise on Friday, December 19, aboard a 42-foot Freeman fishing vessel. The family reports that the men, well-acquainted with the local waters, had intended to return the same day.
As darkness fell without any communication from the pair, anxiety mounted, leading Brandon Billmaier’s wife, Deborah, to alert the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). By late Friday evening, the Coast Guard had initiated an emergency search operation, deploying aircraft to scour the Gulf of Mexico.
In an emotional Instagram post, Deborah expressed her anguish, stating, “I am heartbroken posting this. My husband, Brandon, went out fishing yesterday with his uncle off the coast of Fort Myers. They left early in the morning on Friday, Dec. 19, and were meant to come back that afternoon.”
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office provided a photo of Brandon Billmaier, confirming his disappearance alongside his uncle, Randall Spivey, during their fishing trip off Florida’s coast.
In the early hours of Sunday, December 20, their boat was discovered adrift approximately 70 miles from the shore.
“The helicopter has continued searching throughout the night. As the sun rises, we are looking for additional help in the search efforts. If you or someone you know can help, please reach out to us,” she wrote. “If you cannot, please keep them in your prayers as we continue to have faith that we will find them.”
The boat that missing fishermen Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew, Brandon Billmaier, 33, were on was found empty. (U.S. Coast Guard Sector St Petersburg)
A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District said that the boat was still running when it was found, but both men were nowhere to be found.
“The boat was in gear,” Riley Perkofski said. “We deployed a swimmer, and then the swimmer deployed the vessel’s anchor so that it wouldn’t keep moving.”
The Coast Guard said that they found that the boat’s transmitter, known as an emergency position-indicating radio beacon, was still on the vessel.
Randall Spivey, 57, is 6-foot-1 and was last seen in khaki pants and a dark-colored shirt. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
The Coast Guard and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) continue coordinated air and sea searches across the Gulf of Mexico. Authorities are asking anyone who may know the whereabouts of Spivey and Billmaier to contact the LCSO at 239-477-1000, or 911. They can also contact SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS to remain anonymous.
Spivey was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark-colored shirt. He has brown hair and brown eyes and is 6’1″, weighing 245 pounds. Billmaier is 6’2″ and weighs 250 pounds. He has strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes.
