The wife of a fisherman who went missing at sea wrote a devastating plea to her community in hopes of finding him.
Deborah Billmaier’s husband, Brandon, 33, and his uncle, Randall Spivey, 57, left for a bottom fishing trip from Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday morning.
Billmaier expected her husband home by late afternoon the same day. But their empty boat has been recovered, and they are still nowhere to be found.
During the three days they have been missing, she launched search efforts to bring her husband and his uncle back home.
In her heartbreaking post, Billmaier begged loved ones to come together in prayer and in action.
‘I am heartbroken posting this,’ she wrote on Saturday.
‘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 19th and were meant to come back that afternoon.
‘At 7.30[pm] we had not heard back from them, and we contacted the US Coast Guard. At approximately 11pm they deployed a helicopter.’
Deborah Billmaier’s husband, pictured together, went missing on Friday during a fishing trip
Brandon Billmaier (left) and his uncle Randall Spivey were expected home only hours later
An empty boat that belonged to the two missing fishermen was recovered late that night
‘At 1.30am on Dec 20th we received a call that they had found the boat (70 miles off the coast) but no one was there,’ she continued.
‘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.
‘If you cannot, please keep them in your prayers as we continue to have faith that we will find them.’
A spokesman for the US Coast Guard Southeast District told Fox Digital that the boat was still running when it was 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 reportedly found that the boat’s transmitter, known as an emergency position-indicating radio beacon, was still on the vessel.
That device would have allowed the men to send out a distress signal.
Deborah has rallied loved ones, friends and social media followers to help find her husband
The men’s empty boat was found 70 miles from the coast of Fort Meyers, Florida
The life jackets, however, were not on board.
Billmaier organized a major volunteer effort with the help of the US Coast Guard on Sunday morning.
Boaters have searched within a 70-mile radius of the shore.
‘Thank you to all the local heroes who are working to bring my husband Brandon and uncle Randy home,’ Billmaier wrote in her latest post.
‘We cannot thank you enough, and are eternally grateful. They have yet not been found, but we are staying positive and know they will come home, please continue to pray for us.’
According to Gulf Coast News, Coast Guard officials remain optimistic.
‘We are continuing to do a search and find, not a search-and-recovery mission,’ Civilian Rescue Coordinator Scott Smith told the outlet.
‘There’s a very good chance, even though it’s been 36 hours since they’ve been in the water or so that they’re still alive, and we’re going to find them today and bring them home.’
Deborah organized a massive search effort Sunday morning with another coming today
According to Fox4, Spivey is a Fort Myers attorney. He is the founder and president of Spivey Law Firm.
‘He’s an amazing husband, an amazing father,’ his wife told the outlet.
Billmaier’s husband, Brandon, lives in Weston, Florida, and also practices law. She told the outlet that the entire situation has ‘been a nightmare.’
‘[It] feels like I’m in a horror movie,’ she said.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office appears to be assisting with the search. Officials asked offered a detailed description of the missing men to anyone who may be able to help.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno 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-colored shirt.
‘[Brandon] Billmaier is a white male, 6’2, 250lbs, with strawberry hair and brown eyes.’
‘If you know the whereabouts of Spivey and Billmaier, you’re asked to call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office,’ Marceno continued.
The US Cost Guard believed that the relatives may be wearing their life jackets
Another community search will take place Monday morning, this time in a 225-mile range.
Billmaier called any and all volunteers with boats capable of helping to contact her.
‘On behalf of our family, thank you for your continued support, willingness to help, and prayers. Your assistance truly matters,’ she said.
The Daily Mail contacted the US Coast Guard and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for more information.
