The disappearance of two Florida attorneys, Randall “Randy” Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, has taken a haunting turn with reports of a mysterious phone call received by their family in the dead of night.

Family members revealed that around 11:07 PM, they received an incoming call from one of the missing men’s phones. For three agonizing seconds, there was complete silence, broken only by the faint sound of a man’s heavy breathing – before the line abruptly went dead. This chilling detail has fueled speculation and dread amid an already desperate search, raising questions about what the two men might have encountered in the vast Gulf of Mexico.

Spivey, a prominent Fort Myers personal injury lawyer and founder of Spivey Law Firm, and Billmaier, a trial attorney at Shiner Law Group who recently married, set out early on December 19, 2025, for a routine deep-sea fishing trip aboard a 42-foot Freeman catamaran. The uncle-nephew duo, both experienced boaters with a shared passion for offshore fishing, departed from a home in Fort Myers’ Iona area, planning to return by evening after targeting bottom fish far offshore.

They never made it back. When the men failed to return as expected, concerned relatives alerted authorities around 9 PM that Friday. The U.S. Coast Guard launched an immediate search-and-rescue operation, deploying helicopters, boats, and aircraft. By early Saturday, crews located the vessel adrift approximately 70 miles offshore – empty, with no signs of the men aboard. Notably absent were life jackets, suggesting the pair may have been wearing them when whatever incident occurred unfolded.

The massive multi-agency effort, one of the largest offshore searches in Southwest Florida history, covered thousands of square miles despite challenging conditions like winds and moderate seas. Hundreds of volunteers joined with private boats and planes, coordinated through family pleas on social media. Wives Tricia Spivey and Deborah Billmaier expressed profound heartbreak, describing the ordeal as a “nightmare” and begging for community help to bring their loved ones home.

Spivey, described as safety-conscious with decades of boating experience, and Billmaier, who viewed his uncle as a father figure, were beloved in their professional and personal circles. Colleagues at their law firms issued statements expressing devastation and hope for their safe return.

That eerie phone call – silent except for labored breathing – has become a focal point of intrigue. Was it a desperate attempt to reach help? A pocket dial in distress? Or something more sinister? Families and investigators are grappling with these unanswered questions as hope fades.

By Monday evening, December 22, the Coast Guard suspended active searching at sunset after exhaustive efforts yielded no new leads, though operations could resume with fresh information. The suspension has left families shattered, clinging to prayers amid the holiday season.

As the Gulf keeps its secrets, this baffling case serves as a stark reminder of the ocean’s unforgiving nature – and the lingering terror of that final, breathless call in the night.