😱 A chilling final signal from the deep Gulf of Mexico…

At exactly 9:42 a.m. on December 19, Randall Spivey’s GPS tracker froze – position locked, but the boat’s engine kept roaring on.

Hours later, his nephew Brandon Billmaier’s phone buzzed in his wife’s trembling hand with an unread text: “Coming home soon…”

No response ever came.

The massive 42-foot fishing boat was discovered drifting alone, engines still running, 70 miles offshore – completely empty.

Two experienced attorneys, uncle and nephew, vanished without a trace. Life jackets missing… but no distress call, no signs of struggle.

What REALLY happened out there that day? Foul play? A tragic accident? Or something far more sinister?

The Coast Guard has suspended the search. The FBI is now investigating.

Families are begging for answers – and holding onto hope for a miracle.

Full shocking details below 👇

A routine offshore fishing trip turned into a baffling disappearance case that has gripped Southwest Florida, as prominent attorney Randall “Randy” Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, remain missing more than a week after their vessel was discovered adrift in the Gulf of Mexico with no one on board.

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its active search at sunset on December 22, 2025, after covering thousands of square miles, but the case has since transitioned into an FBI missing persons investigation, raising questions about what exactly unfolded on that fateful Friday morning.

Spivey, a well-known personal injury lawyer and founder of the Spivey Law Firm in Fort Myers, and Billmaier, an associate attorney at the Shiner Law Group in Boca Raton who had recently followed in his uncle’s footsteps in the legal field, set out before dawn on December 19 from Spivey’s home dock in Iona, a waterfront community near Fort Myers.

The pair were aboard Spivey’s 42-foot Freeman catamaran, named “Unstopp-A-Bull” (sometimes referred to as “Unstoppable” in reports), a high-end fishing vessel equipped with modern navigation and safety gear. Family members described them as experienced boaters familiar with the Gulf waters, planning a day of bottom fishing roughly 100 miles offshore before returning by late afternoon.

When the men failed to check in or return as expected, concern mounted quickly. Tricia Spivey, Randall’s wife, and Deborah Billmaier, Brandon’s wife, alerted authorities around 9 p.m. that evening. The Coast Guard immediately launched aircraft to begin scanning the vast expanse of the Gulf.

Early the next morning, on December 20, a Coast Guard helicopter crew located the boat approximately 70 miles offshore, near coordinates between Marco Island and Flamingo in the Everglades area. Shockingly, the vessel was found upright, in gear, and with its engines still running – but completely empty.

“There were no signs of either man on board,” family statements relayed through media outlets. Two life jackets were reported missing from the boat, offering a sliver of hope that the men might have been wearing them if they entered the water. However, the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), a critical distress device, remained unused on the vessel.

The discovery painted a eerie picture: a fully operational boat drifting aimlessly with power engaged, suggesting a sudden and unexplained event that separated the men from their craft. Officials have theorized that one may have fallen overboard, prompting the other to jump in for a rescue attempt – only for the still-running boat to drift away faster than they could swim back to it.

“The Coast Guard believes one of the men fell overboard, and the other jumped in to help, not realizing the boat’s engine was still running,” Deborah Billmaier shared in updates to supporters. “There was no way the two men could catch up to the moving 42-foot boat.”

The search effort escalated rapidly into one of the largest in recent Southwest Florida history. The Coast Guard, operating out of sectors in Miami and St. Petersburg, deployed aircraft, cutters, and helicopters, covering nearly 6,700 square miles – an area comparable to the size of Connecticut.

Local agencies, including the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Collier County authorities, and volunteer firefighters, joined the operation with boats and air support. Private pilots from Naples Airport and civilian boaters across the region volunteered their time and vessels, coordinating through social media groups like SWFL Boaters.

Family members provided search grids and coordinates, urging volunteers to assist. “Thank you to all the local heroes who are working to bring my husband Brandon and uncle Randy home,” Deborah Billmaier posted on social media during the height of the operation. “They have not yet been found, but we are staying positive.”

Descriptions of the missing men were widely circulated: Spivey, 6-foot-1, about 245 pounds, with brown hair and eyes, last seen in khaki pants and a dark shirt; Billmaier, 6-foot-2, around 250 pounds, with strawberry blond hair and brown eyes.

Both men were portrayed by loved ones and colleagues as devoted family men and respected professionals. Randall Spivey had practiced law in Southwest Florida for over 30 years, specializing in helping injury victims. “He’s an incredible, devoted, and loved husband and father,” a family statement read. “He would do anything for his family.”

Brandon Billmaier, recently married, was described as a rising attorney who admired his uncle and shared his passion for advocacy. The Shiner Law Group, where he worked since 2023, issued a statement expressing deep sadness and calling for prayers.

As days passed without sightings, hope began to fade. Volunteer searches continued into the weekend, but by Monday evening, December 22, the Coast Guard made the difficult call to suspend active operations.

“There is no harder decision than to suspend a search,” a Coast Guard spokesperson said in a statement. “We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of Mr. Spivey and Mr. Billmaier during this extremely difficult time.”

Deborah Billmaier acknowledged the decision in a poignant Facebook post: “While this is heartbreaking, Brandon and Randy would never want anyone else to put their life in danger, and we know they would want this decision to be respected.”

With the Coast Guard stepping back, the case shifted to law enforcement. By December 23, reports confirmed the FBI had taken over as a missing persons investigation, though details on potential leads or theories remain scarce.

The disappearance has sparked widespread speculation in local communities and online. Some point to the inherent dangers of offshore fishing, even for seasoned individuals – sudden medical issues, man-overboard incidents, or equipment failures. Others note the absence of a distress signal and question if foul play could be involved, though no evidence has surfaced to support that.

The Gulf of Mexico’s currents and vastness make recoveries challenging, and survival beyond a few days in open water without aid is unlikely. Yet families and supporters cling to the possibility of a miracle, especially given the missing life jackets, which family hoped were auto-inflating models.

As of December 26, 2025, no new developments have been reported publicly. The Spivey and Billmaier families continue to express gratitude for the outpouring of support from the community, volunteers, and first responders.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 239-477-1000 or dial 911.

This case serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable risks at sea, leaving a tight-knit legal community and two families searching for closure in the wake of an unsolved maritime mystery.