Two lawyers have mysteriously disappeared during what was supposed to be a routine fishing trip off Florida’s coastline, leaving one of their wives devastated. She expressed her grief over the disappearance of her husband and his uncle near Fort Myers, Florida.

On the early morning of Friday, December 19, Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew, Brandon Billmaier, 33, departed from Fort Myers on a 42-foot Freeman fishing vessel. According to family, both men were experienced with the local waters and intended to return the same day.

As darkness fell and there was no communication from the pair, worry heightened. This led Brandon’s wife, Deborah, to alert the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). By late Friday, an urgent search operation was underway, with aircraft scouring the Gulf for any signs of the missing boaters.

Deborah shared her distress on Instagram, stating, “I am heartbroken posting this. 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. 19, and were meant to come back that afternoon.”

Brandon Billmaier, 33, disappeared while on a fishing trip with his uncle, Randall Spivey, off Florida’s coast. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

In the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 20, the boat was found drifting roughly 70 miles off the coast.

“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,” she wrote. “If you cannot, please keep them in your prayers as we continue to have faith that we will find them.”

The boat that missing fishermen Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew, Brandon Billmaier, 33, were on was found empty. (U.S. Coast Guard Sector St Petersburg)

A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District said that the boat was still running when it was found, but both men were nowhere to be 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 said that they found that the boat’s transmitter, known as an emergency position-indicating radio beacon, was still on the vessel. 

Randall Spivey, 57, is 6-foot-1 and was last seen in khaki pants and a dark-colored shirt. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

The Coast Guard and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) continue coordinated air and sea searches across the Gulf of Mexico. Authorities are asking anyone who may know the whereabouts of Spivey and Billmaier to contact the LCSO at 239-477-1000, or 911. They can also contact SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS to remain anonymous.

Spivey was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark-colored shirt. He has brown hair and brown eyes and is 6’1″, weighing 245 pounds. Billmaier is 6’2″ and weighs 250 pounds. He has strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes.