“We are closely monitoring the Coast Guard reports involving a missing fishing boat off the Gulf Coast of Florida.
“We have been informed by the Coast Guard that one of the passengers is Corey Smith, who played for the Lions the past three seasons.
“We will continue to gather more information, while maintaining constant communication with the Coast Guard and local Florida authorities.
“First and foremost, however, is that our thoughts and prayers are with all the passengers, their families and all those involved in the search efforts.
“We will provide further updates when more information becomes available.”
As a courtesy, we are also providing the following press release that was distributed by the United States Coast Guard earlier today.
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Coast Guard continues its search for four missing boaters about 50 miles west of Clearwater Pass Sunday.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., received a call at about 1: 30 a.m., Sunday, reporting that four friends, Victor "Marquis" Cooper, Nick Skyler, Corey Smith and William Bleakley did not return from their fishing trip as expected. The four boaters left at about 6:30 a.m., Saturday, from the Seminole Boat Ramp in Clearwater Pass, in a 21-foot center console boat.
A Coast Guard 47-foot motor-life boat crew from Station Sand Key, Fla., HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and C-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, and the Coast Guard Cutter Crocodile are searching a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass for the missing boaters. An Urgent Mariner Information Broadcast (UMIB) is also being transmitted on marine VHF radio channel 16.
If anyone has any information regarding this case they are asked to call Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at or by marine VHF radio channel 16.
