On December 19, 2025, Randy Spivey, a 57-year-old Fort Myers attorney, and his 33-year-old nephew Brandon Billmaier, also an attorney, set out for a routine fishing trip off Florida’s Gulf Coast. Aboard their 42-foot Freeman boat, “Unstopp-A-Bull,” they planned to fish about 100 miles offshore and return by sunset. But when the sun dipped below the horizon, there was no sign of them. By 9 p.m., their families, gripped by worry, alerted the U.S. Coast Guard. What followed was one of Southwest Florida’s largest search efforts—and now, a stunning twist has reignited hope.

In the early hours of December 20, a Coast Guard helicopter located the boat adrift, still in gear, 70 miles west of Fort Myers. The vessel was eerily empty—no sign of Spivey or Billmaier. Two life jackets were missing, fueling speculation that the men might be afloat, clinging to hope. The Coast Guard, alongside the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and countless volunteers, launched a massive air and sea search, covering 6,700 square miles—an area the size of Connecticut. Boats, helicopters, and even private aircraft scoured the Gulf, battling 10 mph winds and 3-foot seas. Despite the effort, no trace of the men was found, and on December 22, the Coast Guard made the heart-wrenching decision to suspend active search operations.

But just when hope seemed lost, a miraculous development emerged. Tricia Spivey, Randy’s wife, detected a signal from her husband’s phone days after the disappearance. The faint connection to a location service sent shockwaves through the family and reignited the search. Was it a glitch, or could Spivey and Billmaier still be alive, perhaps stranded on a distant buoy or debris? The FBI has since taken over, launching a federal missing persons investigation to unravel the mystery. Theories abound: Did one man fall overboard, with the other diving in to save him, only for the boat to drift away? Or is there a more sinister explanation?

Spivey, a dedicated attorney known for helping injured Floridians, and Billmaier, a newlywed who followed in his uncle’s footsteps, are described as avid, safety-conscious fishermen. Their families remain steadfast, leaning on faith and community support. Volunteers from across the Southeast have rallied, and social media is ablaze with pleas for information. The phone signal, though faint, has become a beacon of hope, urging authorities to press on.

As the Gulf Coast braces for Christmas without answers, the search continues with renewed urgency. The public is urged to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 239-477-1000 or the Coast Guard at 866-881-1392 with any leads. For now, the ocean holds its secrets—but the Spivey and Billmaier families refuse to give up, clinging to the possibility of a holiday miracle.