Any word on the missing Keaton boaters?

eat_mo_crawfish · Post by **eat_mo_crawfish** » November 10th, 2003, 1:25 pm

I heard on the radio this morning that four fisherman are missing from Keaton. Coast Guard has the chopper and a cutter out looking. Hope they find the missing folks safe and sound.

dstockwell · Post by **dstockwell** » November 10th, 2003, 1:31 pm

No more info here, except they are suppose to be from Valdosta, but can not find anything on it.

Post by **wevans** » November 10th, 2003, 3:16 pm

Borrowed from the FS site

(Keaton Beach, Florida-AP) -- The Coast Guard is searching the Gulf of Mexico for four boaters who departed from Keaton Beach and haven't returned. The four boaters are all from south Georgia. They left around noon yesterday and were expected to return to the Keaton Beach Marina at 6 p-m Saturday in their 20-foot "Sea Craft." The water is rough in the area, with six-foot seas and 20-knot winds. Keaton Beach is on the Big Bend of the Gulf Coast of Florida, about 45 miles southeast of Tallahassee. The search includes the coastline and gulf out to 70 miles west of Keaton Beach. Planes, rescue boats and a Coast Guard cutter are searching the sea. The Coast Guard identified the missing boaters as: 24-year-old Dan Hutchinson, 24-year-old Jeremy Giffin, 20-year-old Amanda Player, and 38-year-old Dominic Barrows.

Post by **Frank Bradfield** » November 10th, 2003, 5:35 pm

We were offshore Saturday from Econfina out about 32 miles and didn't make it back in till after dark. We we're fishing in about 75 ft catching AJs at about 4:30 the seas really started picking up, it was a long rough ride but we made it back in about 6:30, and i'd have to say the seas we're at least 6 to 6 + ft out there Saturday, we tried to lock down everything good and had just a few problems on the way back. We all were to sore to go fishing the next day, we just cleaned up and went home, thumbs up to the new hull design 2004 model Key West 22.5 footer.. she did a great job in rough seas ( stayed dry too ) I hope and pray for the missing people, please keep us informed if you hear of anything else.. Frank PS , We we're saying to each other on the way in this sure is a great night for a full moon since we were going to be after dark but the moon seemed to be going away, when we got in the river we came upon some people in a pontoon boat and stopped to ask them if they needed help and the said no that they were out there watching the lunar eclispe. What a trip, even with that we still navigated the econfina after dark.. Frank

Post by **CSMarine** » November 12th, 2003, 9:20 am

Was at Keaton Monday. Very sad situation. Lots of family and lots of law enforcement folks. Talked with a feller who last saw them at the Buckeye reef. He said when he past them he was going out to 24. At that time the seas were less than 3 foot and he said the wind was not that bad. Later the seas picked up to 6foot plus, and the wind was at 20 and gusting. He said the boat looked like a flats type boat similar to a Carolina Skiff. Couldn't help but feel sad with the family standing around Keaton Beach Marina crying and trying to console each other.

eat_mo_crawfish · Post by **eat_mo_crawfish** » November 13th, 2003, 1:20 pm

Update: The Coast Guard found the boat 51 miles out of Keaton. No sign of the boaters. Pray for a miracle.