WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The father of one of two missing teenage fishermen detailed the "gut-wrenching" search for the boys during an interview with investigators from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, disappeared during a storm off Jupiter, Florida, July 24. Their capsized 19-foot boat was found in the Bahamas by a Norwegian cargo ship and returned to South Florida May 16.
Reports said Blu Stephanos told investigators in September that his son Austin was allowed to go "a couple of miles offshore on a calm day." In the taped interview released by the agency, Stephanos recalled searching for the boys until dark.
"I was at work and I got a text from him around 11 something saying, 'Hey, I'm offshore' and, uh, he sent it to me and his mom. I was busy. I didn’t even respond back," said Blu Stephanos.
FWC continued the interrogation.
FWC: “Did he have any restrictions where he could go when he went out on the boat?”
Stephanos: “He's not allowed go to the Bahamas. He's not allowed to go, you know.”
Blu Stephanos said he didn't know much about the vessel, which was a gift from Austin's grandfather.
“He was really excited about the boat, you know, and, uh, you know I just don’t know. I mean obviously that stayed at his grandfather’s house,” Blu Stephanos said.
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The search went on for weeks, but the boys were presumed dead.
In March of this year, the boat was found capsized about 100 miles off the coast of Bermuda by a Norwegian cargo ship.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.