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Update, 1:50 p.m.: After being lost at sea for 16 days, the families of Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen have made the decision to end the search for the boys, a family spokesperson said.
The families “faced the harsh reality of no new, credible evidence or clues to guide the search,” the spokesperson said in a press release. The Coast Guard suspended the search for the boys on July 31, one week after they went missing in a 19-foot vessel from the Jupiter Inlet.
Their boat was found off the coast of Cape Canaveral on July 26. After finding no other clues, the Coast Guard suspended the search on July 31.
Click here for an interactive timeline of events of the search.
The families continued a private search effort from Jupiter to South Carolina until they announced today that they ended search efforts at sunset Saturday.
“We will never stop looking for our boys, Austin and Perry. We want to thank the US Coast Guard and the many volunteers from Florida to Maine whose contributions were nothing short of extraordinary,” the families said joint statement. “We express a special debt of gratitude to the Palm Beach community for its generosity and outpouring of love and support.”
A GoFundMe page for the missing teens, started by Pamela Cohen, Perry’s mother, generated nearly half a million dollars for the search effort, which will go a charity in the boys’ honor, the family said.
“We ask that you join us in our prayer that one day Perry and Austin will be reunited with their families,” the families said.
Original post: The families of Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen have announced that they ended the search for the missing Tequesta teens at sunset Saturday, according to a family spokesperson.
The teens went missing on a 19-foot vessel leaving the Jupiter Inlet Friday, July 24 and the Coast Guard suspended the search a week later. Since then, the family led a private search from the coast of Jupiter to South Carolina.
“We love our boys and want them home. Today, our hope becomes our prayer— that one day Perry and Austin will be returned to us. We thank everyone for their dedicated efforts and support,” said the families in a joint statement.
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