Final Snapchat Of Two 14-Year-Old Boys Lost At Sea Revealed
Published
| Last updated
Nearly a year ago, two friends went out to sea for a fishing trip and sadly never came home. 14-year-old friends, Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos, sent a Snapchat to friends shortly before they disappeared that simply read: "We're fucked."
Investigators have now released new evidence which they say may indicate that the boat had been tampered with.
The boys set off for their trip from Florida's Jupiter Inlet at around 11am on July 24, 2015. According to People, Perry text his mother at 10am saying: "Mom, it's Perry. My iPad is dead... I'll text you in a little. Love you."
However, a few hours later their 19-foot Seacraft boat was hit by a storm. It only lasted for around 20 minutes, but the winds were strong - up to 40mph.
Their boat was found back in March, capsized and around 100 miles off the coast of Bermuda.
This week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released 128 pages of social media posts, investigative reports, cell phone tower records, interview notes and FBI emails that they have pieced together in an attempt to make sense of what happened to the boys.
Some of the photographs that were released show that both the battery and the ignition had been switched off.
The family of Perry Cohen have an attorney, named Guy Rubin, who went into more detail.
He told WPBF: "We do know for sure that boat was disabled intentionally because the battery switch, which is very difficult to get to, was in the off position.
"That can't be maneuvered by the passage of time, the current, and other events. The key in the ignition was in the off position. If the storm came and capsized the boat, the battery switch and the key would not be in those positions."
However, there is the possibility that the boys turned off the switches themselves to conserve battery.
Marine expert, Captain Jimmy Hill, told PEOPLE: "If the boat had any type of mechanical failure, it would have been shut off, otherwise the alarm on the engine would have been driving them crazy if they left it on."
Investigators believe they may be able to piece together more of what happened by accessing Austin's iPhone which was found on the capsized boat.
Initially, the families were very confident the boys would be found.
Perry's stepfather, Nick Korniloff, told CNN's New Day: "I know that we've trained them correctly - we've taught them the respect of mother nature and the power of the sea.
"We've raised these kids right. Our optimism comes from the faith we have. They are strong kids. They are survivors."
The search came to an end, but the families said that they still hold out hope that 'one day Perry and Austin will be reunited with their families'.
.png)
.png)
