‘No harder decision’: Search suspended for 2 missing Florida boaters
The search for two boaters missing off the coast of Naples, Florida, has been suspended after a massive four-day search operation.
The U.S. Coast Guard halted its search for Fort Myers attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, at sunset on Monday, Dec. 22.
The relatives disappeared on Dec. 19, and the search spanned nearly 6,700 square miles of sea, officials reported.
“After the utmost consideration and careful review of all factors involved in this case, the Coast Guard made the difficult decision to suspend its active search efforts,” Capt. Corrie Sergent, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, said. “There is no harder decision than suspending a search. I am incredibly grateful for the crews, partners, and volunteers across this community who executed this massive search with the utmost professionalism, persistence, and compassion. We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of Mr. Spivey and Mr. Billmaier during this extremely difficult time.”
Brandon Billmaier and Randy Spivey remain missing
Volunteers from across the Southeast United States joined the search for the men who vanished during a fishing trip about 70 miles off the Naples coast earlier this month.
“While this is heartbreaking, Brandon and Randy would never want anyone else to put their life in danger, and we know they would want this decision to be respected,” Deborah Billmaier, wife of Brandon Billmaier, wrote in a Facebook post.
The FBI is leading the missing persons investigation.
Spivey and Billmaier went on a fishing trip about 102 miles off the coast of Naples in southwest Florida, Tricia Spivey, Randall Spivey’s wife, said. When they failed to return, family contacted the Coast Guard.
The men were in a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” said Luis Garcia, supervisor on watch for the Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg.
GPS coordinates from the boat’s spot tracker led them to that location near Marco Island and Flamingo, Spivey’s wife said.
A rescue swimmer was lowered, stopped the engines, and anchored the vessel for safety.
“The boat was in gear,” said Riley Perkofski, a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District, “We deployed a swimmer, and then the swimmer deployed the vessel’s anchor so that it wouldn’t keep moving.”
Search area for missing Florida boaters was vast
On Monday Dec. 22, searchers had focused on a 20-mile-wide area about 100 miles off the coast of Naples, according to a statement from the Spivey/Billmaier family.
The Coast Guard said crews searched by air and sea before halting search operations, pending the development of new information.
“As a family, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the resources and volunteers who have stepped up to help,” the statement reads. “The amount of support, time, and effort being given means more to us than we can put into words.”
Who is Randy Spivey?
Tricia Spivey said her husband — a prominent Fort Myers attorney — is well-regarded and well-liked.
“He’s dedicated his life to helping other people as an attorney and helping them in their time of need,” his wife said, adding he and his nephew are avid fishermen. “That’s why it’s so touching that many people are now stepping up to find him.”
In a Dec. 22 statement, the Spivey/Billmaier family described Spivey as “an incredible, devoted, and loved husband and father.”
“He would do anything for his family,” the statement says. “He has also dedicated his 30 years as an attorney in Southwest Florida to helping those who are injured. We are so grateful to all of our community for now helping us to bring him home!”
Who is Brandon Billmaier?
Billmaier had recently gotten married, the statement said.
“Brandon is also an attorney who followed in his uncle’s footsteps to help people injured in Florida,” it said. “He is newly married, and we all need both Brandon and Randy brought home because we love them so deeply!”
The Shiner Law Group issued a statement on Dec. 22 on the disappearance of Billmaier, a Boca Raton-based attorney and associate with the firm since August 2023.
“This situation has been surreal; we continue to pray and hold onto hope for the safe return of Brandon and Randy as search efforts remain underway. We respectfully ask that the public keep Brandon Billmaier and Randy Spivey in their thoughts and prayers.”
The Lee County Sheriffi’s Office described Spivey as a white male, 6’1”, 245lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark in color shirt, according to Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Billmaier is a white male, 6’2”, 250lbs, with strawberry hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Coast Guard’s St. Petersburg sector at 866-881-1392.
Using GPS coordinates from the boat’s spot tracker, the Coast Guard later found the boat floating upright in the Gulf about 70 miles off the coast of Naples near Marco Island and Flamingo, Tricia Spivey said, but there were no signs of the missing boaters.
There were two life jackets missing from the boat, which made family members think Spivey and Billmaier could be wearing them.
Boat found adrift
According to the USCG, a Coast Guard helicopter crew found the vessel, a Freeman Boatworks 42LR named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” adrift, still in gear, roughly 70 miles west of Fort Myers at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20.
The Enduring Enigma of the Gulf: The Disappearance of Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier
On this solemn Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, two Florida families confront a holiday season forever altered by loss and uncertainty. Just six days earlier, on December 19, accomplished attorneys Randall “Randy” Spivey, 57, from Fort Myers, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, from Boca Raton, embarked on a deep-sea fishing excursion in the Gulf of Mexico. What was intended as a bonding trip between an uncle and his admired protégé turned into a profound tragedy, with the men vanishing under circumstances that remain deeply puzzling.
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Randall Spivey (left in several photos) and Brandon Billmaier, both respected lawyers who shared a deep love for offshore fishing.
The pair departed early that Friday from Spivey’s waterfront home in Iona, a serene suburb near Fort Myers, aboard the 42-foot Freeman catamaran named Unstopp-A-Bull (sometimes referred to as “Unstoppable” in reports). This high-performance vessel, known for its stability and offshore capabilities, was outfitted with advanced navigation systems and safety equipment, including an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). They planned to venture 70-100 miles offshore for bottom fishing, targeting species like grouper and snapper—a pursuit both men relished and had enjoyed together many times.
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A Freeman 42 catamaran similar to the Unstopp-A-Bull, prized for its reliability in deep Gulf waters.
Randall Spivey, founder and president of Spivey Law Firm in Fort Myers, was a board-certified civil trial attorney with over three decades of experience advocating for personal injury victims. Described by colleagues and family as dedicated, safety-minded, and deeply familial, he was a husband to Tricia and a father figure to many. His nephew, Brandon Billmaier, had followed in his footsteps, joining the Shiner Law Group in Boca Raton in 2023 after law school. Newly married to Deborah, Brandon viewed his uncle as a mentor and “second father,” and the two often shared the thrill of the open water.
Initial communications were normal—loving texts to spouses, excitement about the day’s potential catch. But by afternoon, contact ceased. When no return came by evening, Tricia Spivey reported them missing around 9 p.m. No distress signals were received.
The breakthrough—and heartbreak—came early Saturday, December 20, when a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located the Unstopp-A-Bull adrift approximately 70 miles west of Fort Myers, near Naples and Marco Island. The boat was upright, engines running and in gear, suggesting an abrupt incident with no opportunity to throttle down or shut off power. A rescue swimmer boarded, secured the vessel, and confirmed: no one was aboard.
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U.S. Coast Guard helicopters and vessels conducting intensive search operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
Two life jackets and a life ring were missing, igniting hope that the men had managed to don flotation aids. The EPIRB, however, remained onboard and inactive. Weather conditions were relatively benign—light winds, 2-4 foot seas—insufficient to overwhelm a robust catamaran like the Freeman 42.
This discovery mobilized one of the most extensive search efforts in recent Southwest Florida history. The Coast Guard deployed multiple helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, cutters, and boats, eventually covering more than 6,700 square miles—an area comparable to Connecticut. Local agencies, including the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, joined forces, while an outpouring of community support saw private pilots and dozens of civilian vessels participate. Family friend Paul Rocuant helped coordinate volunteers, distributing search grids.
Wives Tricia and Deborah issued emotional appeals through media and social media. “Please, please find them—they’re amazing people,” Tricia told reporters. Deborah, holding onto hope, shared that the men were engaged in bottom fishing when the presumed incident occurred. She later spoke of seeking a “Christmas miracle” in interviews as the holiday approached.
After three full days of relentless searching yielded no sightings, debris, or signals, the Coast Guard suspended active operations at sunset on Monday, December 22. Captain Corrie Sergent described it as “no harder decision,” praising the professionalism of crews and volunteers while extending condolences. The family released a statement supporting the suspension: “While this is heartbreaking… Randy and Brandon would never want anyone else to put their life in danger.” They emphasized gratitude for the massive response and urged respect for the decision as search areas shifted farther offshore.
Scenes of deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, mirroring the activity Spivey and Billmaier were pursuing.
As of Christmas 2025, no further clues have emerged. The case has transitioned to a formal FBI missing persons investigation, with the recovered boat towed for detailed examination of navigation data, engine logs, and any forensic evidence. Authorities continue to seek public tips, particularly from other vessels that may have been in the area.
Investigators lean toward a sudden, unforeseen catastrophe. Bottom fishing involves heavy gear; a large fish strike or line snag could have pulled one man overboard, prompting the other to attempt rescue—a tragically common sequence in man-overboard incidents. Alternatives include a medical emergency or rogue wave, explaining the absence of a mayday call. No indications of foul play have surfaced; both men were portrayed as content, with strong personal and professional lives.
The missing life jackets offer lingering, though fading, optimism for survival in the Gulf’s currents. Maritime experts reiterate the value of personal locator beacons (PLBs)—wearable devices that activate upon water immersion—beyond boat-mounted EPIRBs, which require manual deployment.
This incident has resonated across Florida’s legal and boating communities. Shiner Law Group mourned Brandon as an “exceptional person and great lawyer,” while Spivey’s firm highlighted his lifelong commitment to clients. Deborah Billmaier, in a recent interview, found comfort in knowing her husband spent his final moments doing what he loved: fishing alongside family.
The Gulf of Mexico, vast and unpredictable, has claimed two vibrant lives without revealing its secret. As families grieve privately this holiday, the broader community reflects on the sea’s power and the fragility of even the most prepared adventures. The FBI encourages anyone with information to contact them or local authorities.
For video coverage, including family interviews, search operations, and emotional updates, refer to reports from WINK News, FOX 4, The News-Press, and national outlets like Fox News and People.