The vast, unpredictable Gulf of Mexico has claimed two more lives in a tragedy that has gripped Southwest Florida communities over the holiday season. On December 23, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard officially suspended the active search for 57-year-old Randall Spivey and his 33-year-old nephew Brandon Billmaier, both accomplished attorneys and avid fishermen, after their empty boat was found drifting 70 miles offshore. What began as a routine deep-sea fishing trip on Friday, December 19, turned into a heartbreaking mystery, with mounting evidence pointing to a sudden overboard incident and slim chances of survival in shark-infested waters. Families, while devastated, have accepted the painful reality: the odds were heavily stacked against the men’s safe return.

Randall “Randy” Spivey, a prominent Fort Myers personal injury attorney with over 30 years of experience advocating for the injured, was known for his unwavering dedication to safety—both in the courtroom and on the water. Described by loved ones as a devoted husband, father, and mentor, he had boated extensively for decades, earning a reputation as one of the most cautious captains among his peers. His 42-foot Freeman catamaran, aptly named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” was equipped with top-tier gear, including life jackets and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) that, puzzlingly, was never activated. Brandon Billmaier, newly married and an associate at the Shiner Law Group in Boca Raton, idolized his uncle, viewing him as a father figure. Following in Randy’s footsteps, Brandon built his career helping accident victims, bringing the same passion to law that the duo shared for offshore fishing. “Brandon was a light in this world,” his wife Deborah said in emotional statements, highlighting his recent wedding and bright future cut short.

The pair departed before dawn from a private dock in Iona, near Fort Myers, planning a day targeting pelagic species in the deep Gulf waters. They were expected back by afternoon, but as evening fell without contact, concern escalated. Deborah Billmaier alerted authorities around 9 p.m., prompting an immediate response from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Coast Guard. Overnight air searches scoured the Gulf, and early Saturday morning, a Coast Guard crew located the vessel adrift approximately 70 miles west of Fort Myers—engine running, in gear, but eerily empty. No signs of distress were evident: the boat was upright, undamaged, and operational. Notably, two life jackets were missing, fueling initial hope that the men had donned them after falling overboard.

Investigators quickly pieced together a likely scenario: one man fell into the water unexpectedly—perhaps while handling a large fish or navigating rough seas—and the other instinctively jumped in to assist, unaware that the unmanned boat, still throttled forward, would drift irretrievably away. “There was no way they could catch up to a moving 42-foot vessel,” Deborah explained in interviews, echoing Coast Guard briefings. The Gulf’s currents and winds could swiftly separate survivors from safety, turning a rescue attempt into isolation. With water temperatures in the mid-70s Fahrenheit, hypothermia was less immediate a threat than exhaustion, dehydration, or marine predators.

The search that followed was one of the largest in Southwest Florida history, spanning an area larger than the state of Connecticut. Coast Guard assets from multiple stations deployed helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and cutters, joined by Lee and Collier County marine units, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission vessels, and even military support. Volunteers poured in from across the region—private boaters, pilots flying grid patterns from Naples Airport, and off-duty firefighters scouring on their own time. Friends like Paul Rocuant, Randy’s best man and longtime companion, coordinated grassroots efforts, emphasizing the community’s unbreakable spirit. “Randy’s like a brother to me,” Rocuant shared, vowing to bring them home.

Hope lingered through the weekend, bolstered by the missing life jackets—possibly auto-inflating models in blue and yellow—and the men’s physical fitness and boating expertise. Randy’s wife Tricia pleaded publicly: “We’ve gotta find them. Please find them.” Brandon’s firm issued statements praying for miracles, while family posts on social media rallied support, offering rewards and coordinates for volunteer searches.

Yet, as days passed without sightings, reality set in. In private briefings, Coast Guard leaders informed the family that exhaustive coverage of probable drift patterns yielded no results. “If Randy and Brandon were on the surface, they would have been found,” relatives conveyed in a unified statement, acknowledging the “heartbreaking” decision to suspend active operations at sunset on Monday, December 22. The FBI has since taken lead on the missing persons investigation, analyzing boat data, GPS tracks, and other forensics to confirm the sequence of events.

The Gulf of Mexico, while a fisherman’s paradise teeming with grouper, snapper, and tuna, harbors undeniable dangers. Strong currents, sudden weather shifts, and an abundance of sharks—particularly bull and tiger varieties known to patrol offshore depths—make overboard incidents particularly perilous. While no direct witness accounts emerged of shark involvement in this case, the remote location and prolonged exposure raised unspoken fears among searchers and families. Maritime experts note that in open waters far from shore, survival beyond 48-72 hours diminishes sharply, with predation a grim factor in unresolved cases.

For the Spivey and Billmaier families, the suspension marks a shift from hope to mourning. “Brandon and Randy would never want anyone else to risk their lives,” Deborah wrote, expressing gratitude for the heroic efforts while respecting the call to stand down. Tributes highlight their legacies: Randy’s decades championing the injured, Brandon’s emerging career and joyful spirit as a newlywed. Friends recall shared adventures on the water, where uncle and nephew bonded over rods, reels, and the thrill of the catch—passions that ultimately led to this tragedy.

This incident serves as a sobering reminder of the sea’s unforgiving nature, even for seasoned boaters. Questions linger about the unused EPIRB and precise trigger for the overboard fall, but the absence of foul play points to a freak accident amplified by circumstance. Safety advocates renew calls for mandatory personal locator beacons, kill switches on engines, and buddy systems during high-risk maneuvers.

As Christmas approaches amid profound grief, Southwest Florida reflects on two lives lost too soon. Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier leave behind loving families, grateful clients, and a community forever changed. In the words of their joint statement: “We love them so deeply.” The Gulf may have closed its chapter on the search, but their stories—of compassion, kinship, and adventure—endure on shore.