A Boatload Of Hope

UPDATE 3:35:  An unconfirmed report that is originating with the family of Marquise Cooper is claiming that Cooper has been rescued and is alive.  No other news is available on this yet.

The picture is almost disturbing.  A lone man sits atop an overturned water vessel.  3 of his friends missing.  30 miles off the nearest shore afloat in a desolate sea of torrent weather and 8 foot swells.  It almost sounds like something out of a movie.  

Today the U.S. Coast Guard rescued Nick Schuyler from atop that upturned boat.  Still missing are his friends Marquise Cooper a LB for the Raiders, Corey Smith a DE from the Lions, and former South Florida University player William Bleakley.  

Upon his rescue, Schuyler informed the Coast Guard that he had seen his friends around 2 AM this morning and that they were in fact wearing life preservers. 

The good news is that the Coast Guard has found one survivor and that the reports of the other two being alive bodes well for the search.  A search now can be more narrowed in an effort to find the missing 3.  However it also makes it a bit more difficult if the 3 are not together as spotting one person is difficult at best.

Surface temperatures in that region of the gulf are normally steady around the low 60F degree.  The longer a body is exposed to those temperatures the more likely severe hypothermia will set in.  The boaters went missing on Saturday evening when the 21 foot vessel flipped in stormy weather.  No word on whether or not the others tried to stay with the boat and then got separated or how long they actually have been in the water.

For now there is hope that all 3 of the remaining men could still be found alive.

Tags: Corey Smith, Marquise Cooper, Missing football players, Nick Schuyler, US Coast Guard, William Bleakley