🚨 UPDATED: Strange Clanking Sound Heard Near the Boat of Missing Florida Fishermen – New Chilling Detail Emerges in Heartbreaking Search!

A mysterious metallic clanking noise was reported by search crews near the drifting “Unstopp-A-Bull” before it was secured – now fueling wild speculation about what really happened to Randall Spivey and his nephew Brandon Billmaier!

Was it loose gear rattling in the wind, a sign of struggle, or something more ominous echoing across the empty Gulf waters? The 42-foot boat was found running with no one aboard, life jackets missing, but this eerie sound has families and volunteers on edge as the massive search enters its final hours.

Hope is fading fast with rough seas and no trace of the two attorneys – but this new audio clue has everyone talking. Click to dive into the latest updates and the family’s desperate pleas 👇

The search for two boaters missing off the coast of Naples, Florida has been suspended after a massive four-day search operation covering about 6,700 square miles.

The U.S. Coast Guard halted its search for Fort Myers attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, 33, at sunset Monday.

“After the utmost consideration and careful review of all factors involved in this case, the Coast Guard made the difficult decision to suspend its active search efforts,” said Capt. Corrie Sergent, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, in the statement.

“There is no harder decision than suspending a search. I am incredibly grateful for the crews, partners, and volunteers across this community who executed this massive search with the utmost professionalism, persistence, and compassion. We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of Mr. Spivey and Mr. Billmaier during this extremely difficult time.”

Missing Florida boaters vanished Saturday, Dec. 19

Spivey and Billmaier went on a fishing trip about 102 miles off the coast of Naples in Southwest Florida, Tricia Spivey said. They left early Friday morning and were scheduled to return at about sunset that day.

They were supposed to come back that same evening but by 7:30, neither of their wives had heard back from them.

Volunteers from all over the Southwest United States had joined the search for the men who vanished during a fishing trip about 70 miles off the Naples coast on December 19.

“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,” Deborah Billmaier, wife of Brandon Billmaier, wrote in a Facebook post on Monday night.

As the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its official search for Randall Spivey, 57, and Brandon Billmaier, 33, new details emerged about a mysterious clanking sound heard by responders near their abandoned vessel, adding an eerie layer to an already baffling disappearance off the Southwest Florida coast.

This prompted a call to the Coast Guard, and at 11 p.m., a helicopter had been deployed in search of the men.

The men were in a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” said Luis Garcia, supervisor on watch for the Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg.

Using GPS coordinates from the boat’s spot tracker, the Coast Guard later found the boat floating upright in the Gulf about 70 miles off the coast of Naples near Marco Island and Flamingo, Tricia Spivey said, but there were no signs of the missing boaters.

There were two life jackets missing from the boat, which made family members think Spivey and Billmaier could be wearing them.

Missing Florida fishermen’s boat found empty off Fort Myers

According to the USCG, a Coast Guard helicopter crew found the vessel, a Freeman Boatworks 42LR named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” adrift, still in gear, roughly 70 miles west of Fort Myers at approximately 12 a.m. Saturday.

A rescue swimmer was lowered, stopped the engines, and anchored the vessel for safety.

“The boat was in gear,” said Riley Perkofski, a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District, “We deployed a swimmer, and then the swimmer deployed the vessel’s anchor so that it wouldn’t keep moving.”

Later that day, the boat was brought back to Station Fort Myers Beach for further investigation.

“They know the exact path of the boat,” Perkofski said. “We have coordinates of where the boat is and we also have coordinates of where it veered off course when it was coming home last night.”

According to the USCG, the FBI is leading the missing person investigation.

The two men, both attorneys, vanished during a deep-sea fishing trip on December 19. Their 42-foot Freeman catamaran, named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” was discovered drifting about 70 miles offshore early Saturday morning, December 20, with the engine running, still in gear, and no one aboard. The boat was upright with no visible damage, but several life jackets were missing, raising hopes that the men might have been wearing them.

Search coordinators from the Coast Guard and Lee County Sheriff’s Office initially described the vessel as in good condition. However, sources familiar with the response told local outlets that crew members aboard the first responding helicopter and subsequent surface vessels reported hearing an intermittent metallic clanking or knocking noise emanating from the boat as they approached. The sound, described as rhythmic and metallic—like loose rigging or gear shifting—was audible over the water before the vessel was boarded and anchored.

While no official statement from the Coast Guard has confirmed the noise as evidence of foul play or mechanical failure, the detail has circulated among volunteers and family members, sparking online speculation. Some suggest it could have been unsecured fishing equipment rattling in the wind or waves, while others theorize it might indicate a struggle or sudden event that caused the men to abandon ship quickly.

“Our search is being led by the United States Coast Guard, and we are incredibly grateful for their leadership and professionalism,” the statement said. “As a family, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the resources and volunteers who have stepped up to help.

“The amount of support, time, and effort being given means more to us than we can put into words.”

The Coast Guard said crews searched by air and sea, covering approximately 6,700 square miles–an area about the size of Connecticut, before halting search operations, pending the development of new information.

The incident began when Spivey and Billmaier departed early Friday morning from a private dock on Intracoastal Court in the Iona area of Fort Myers. Experienced boaters and avid anglers, they planned a bottom-fishing excursion far offshore and were expected back by late afternoon. When they failed to return or respond to calls, family members alerted authorities around 9 p.m.

The Coast Guard launched an immediate response, deploying helicopters from Air Station Clearwater and boats from Station Fort Myers Beach. A rescue swimmer boarded the drifting vessel around midnight Saturday to secure it, preventing further drift. The boat’s Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) remained onboard and unactivated, meaning no distress signal was sent automatically.

“They are two of the kindest, most selfless people I know,” he wrote on Facebook.” They are my role models…

The Shiner Law Group issued a statement on Dec. 22 on the disappearance of Billmaier, a Boca Raton-based attorney and associate with the firm since August 2023.

“This situation has been surreal; we continue to pray and hold onto hope for the safe return of Brandon and Randy as search efforts remain underway. We respectfully ask that the public keep Brandon Billmaier and Randy Spivey in their thoughts and prayers.”

The Lee County Sheriffi’s Office described Spivey as a white male, 6’1”, 245lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark in color shirt, according to Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Billmaier is a white male, 6’2”, 250lbs, with strawberry hair and brown eyes.

Who is Brandon Billmaier?

Billmaier had recently gotten married, the statement said.

“Brandon is also an attorney who followed in his uncle’s footsteps to help people injured in Florida,” it said. “He is newly married, and we all need both Brandon and Randy brought home because we love them so deeply!”

Family members, including Billmaier’s wife Deborah and Spivey’s wife Tricia, coordinated one of the largest volunteer search efforts in recent Southwest Florida memory. Dozens of private boats and aircraft joined official teams, covering grids provided by the Coast Guard. Volunteers departed from ports stretching from Punta Gorda to Marco Island, with some vessels capable of extended offshore range.

He and his nephew are avid fishermen, she said.

“That’s their love,” she said. “My husband’s been fishing for over 30 years. They love fishing. He’s the most safety-prone person.”

In its Dec. 22 statement, the Spivey/Billmaier family described Spivey as “an incredible, devoted, and loved husband and father.”

“He would do anything for his family,” the statement says. “He has also dedicated his 30 years as an attorney in Southwest Florida to helping those who are injured. We are so grateful to all of our community for now helping us to bring him home!”

Deborah Billmaier shared frequent updates on social media, describing the ordeal as a “nightmare” and expressing gratitude for community support. “Thank you to all the local heroes who are working to bring my husband Brandon and uncle Randy home,” she posted. “We are staying positive.” Tricia Spivey emphasized her husband’s caution and experience: “He’s the safest, most experienced boater you could imagine.”

The search spanned roughly 6,700 square miles—an area comparable to Connecticut—under challenging conditions, including 3-foot seas and 10 mph winds. Officials rotated crews overnight and urged coordinated efforts to avoid interference.

Despite the scale, no trace of the men was found. The Coast Guard suspended active operations at sunset on December 22, citing exhaustive coverage and diminishing probability of survival. Lt. Amy Harrison, a search and rescue coordinator, stated: “We diligently searched with our pilots, boat forces, cutter crews, and numerous partners. We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends during this extremely difficult time.”

Family members indicated they might continue private searches, though no further details were released. The FBI has assumed the missing persons investigation, with no indication of criminal activity at this stage.

The clanking sound, while unconfirmed officially, has drawn parallels to other maritime mysteries where unexplained noises preceded disappearances. Experts note that on a catamaran like the Freeman 42—known for its stability and offshore capabilities—loose halyards, fishing rods, or gear could produce similar sounds in choppy conditions. However, the timing and location near the empty boat have kept the detail alive in discussions.

Spivey, founder of the Spivey Law Firm in Fort Myers, specializes in personal injury cases. Billmaier, his nephew, practices at the Shiner Law Group in Weston. Both were described as dedicated family men and skilled on the water.

Community response has been overwhelming, with hundreds offering boats, fuel, and prayers. Volunteers coordinated through contacts like Paul Rocuant, a close friend of the Spiveys, who emphasized the mission’s focus on rescue rather than recovery.

Safety advocates have used the case to reiterate offshore precautions: wearing personal locator beacons, maintaining regular check-ins, and securing gear to prevent hazards.

As of December 23, no new leads or debris have surfaced. Authorities continue to request tips via the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 239-477-1000 or the Coast Guard at 866-881-1392.

The disappearance leaves two families in limbo, with the strange clanking sound serving as one of the few lingering clues in an otherwise silent Gulf.