Uncle, 57, and Nephew, 33, Missing After Disappearing on a Fishing Trip, Family Says They’re ‘Heartbroken’ as Search Continues

Authorities in Florida are asking for the public’s help in finding two men who went missing after heading out on a fishing trip.

On Saturday, Dec. 20, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) said it had launched an urgent search for Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier following what the agency described as an “endangered adults” disappearance reported the day before.

“The two left early yesterday morning for a fishing trip on a 42FT Freeman boat from a residence on the 15000 block of Intracoastal Ct in Fort Myers,” the LCSO wrote on Facebook.

Spivey, 57, is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 6 feet 1 inches tall, weighs 245 pounds, and was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark-colored shirt, according to the post.

Billmaier, 33, is described as a white male with strawberry hair and brown eyes. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds.

Capt. Corrie Sergent, Sector St. Petersburg commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard, said in a statement on Sunday that crews were continuing the search by air and sea while following up on all leads.

Billmaier’s wife, Deborah, also shared an Instagram post saying there is a monetary reward being offered as the search continues.

“I am heartbroken posting this. My husband, Brandon, went out fishing yesterday with his uncle off the coast of Fort Myers,” she wrote. “They left early in the morning on Friday, Dec. 19 and were meant to come back that afternoon.”

She said that when the pair did not return, the family contacted the U.S. Coast Guard, which later deployed a helicopter to assist.

Deborah added that around 1:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 20, she received word that the boat had been found roughly 70 miles off the coast of Fort Myers — but neither man was on board. She said search crews continued working through the night, and that the family was seeking additional help as daylight arrived.

Billmaier is a personal injury attorney and the founder and president of Spivey Law Firm, according to the company’s website.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard St. Petersburg said a search was underway in the area where the two men were last believed to be, noting that search-and-rescue operations were being conducted from the surface up to 5,000 feet and covering an area roughly 35 statute miles around the reported position.

The Coast Guard also warned that uncoordinated crews operating in the search area could slow response efforts and create unsafe conditions.