Stormlike winds were whipping up the Gulf of Mexico when it was discovered that the anchor to Marquis Cooper's boat had caught on something 138 feet under water. There was no VHF radio onboard. Also, Cooper and two of his three passengers had been drinking. ...more

March 28, 2009

Careless and inexperienced piloting, along with improper anchoring, caused the boating mishap that took the lives of two professional football players and one former USF football player, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Report released this morning. ...more

March 27, 2009

Speaking over the whine of the pneumatic drills in his Citrus County auto shop, Bob Bleakley said hadn't had time to look at the report, released moments before, outlining what investigators say happened during the boating accident that took the life of his son, Will, and NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith.. ...more

March 27, 2009

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission just released its investigative report into an ill-fated fishing trip where three football players disappeared, an official said. ...more

March 27, 2009

Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are close to finalizing their report of the boating mishap in which two pro football players and a former University of South Florida athlete were lost at sea. ...more

March 24, 2009

The Detroit Lions will retire the number 93 for the 2009 football season in memory of player Corey Smith, one of three men lost when their fishing boat capsized off the Florida Gulf Coast three weeks ago. ...more

March 22, 2009

Authorities have yet to release blood tests for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth, who authorities say fatally struck a pedestrian in Miami Beach a week ago. ...more

March 22, 2009

The Detroit Lions are holding a memorial service for former defensive lineman Corey Smith today. ...more

March 21, 2009

It wasn't only the bad weather, the 14-foot seas and the glaring spotlight of the media that frustrated the Coast Guard as it searched for four high-profile boaters who went missing during a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico on Feb. 28th. ...more

March 18, 2009

It wasn't only the bad weather, the 14-foot seas and the glaring spotlight of the media that frustrated the U.S. Coast Guard as it frantically searched for four high-profile boaters who went missing during a fishing trip into the Gulf of Mexico earlier this month. ...more

March 17, 2009