Florida

‘Pursuing all leads:’ Search for missing Fort Myers boaters continues into Monday morning

Published

3 months ago

December 22, 2025

‘Pursuing all leads:’ Search for missing Fort Myers boaters continues into Monday morning

The search for the 57-year-old Fort Myers attorney and his 33-year-old nephew continued late Sunday after the pair was reported missing Dec. 19 after a fishing trip off the coast of Naples.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported it would continue the search overnight.

A new grid search by volunteer searchers was expected to start Monday morning, Dec. 22, 70 miles east of Naples, family members reported on Facebook.

“USCG crews and partner agencies are continuing the search through the night by air and by sea,” the Coast Guard posted on X at 8:34 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21.

The U.S. Coast Guard is leading the search along with partner agencies to find attorney Randall Spivey and his nephew Brandon Billmaier, who were reported missing at about 9 p.m. Friday. The boat they’d been using for their trip had been scheduled to return at about sunset.

The pair went out in a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” according to Luis Garcia, the supervisor on watch for the Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg. The Coast Guard found the boat floating upright in the Gulf about 70 miles off the coast of Naples, with no signs of the missing boaters.

Now, one of the largest searches in Southwest Florida history is underway, with a large community effort behind it.

Were the missing Florida boaters from Fort Myers found? Boater’s wife provides updates

As of late Sunday, Dec. 21, Spivey and Billmaier, the Florida boaters reported missing Dec. 19 after a fishing trip off the coast of Naples, had not been found, according to Billmaier’s wife, Deborah.

Deborah and other family members of the missing men continued to ask for prayers and for volunteers to help search.

“We are asking for vessels capable of a 225-mile range to assist in a major offshore search,” Deborah Billmaier said in a Facebook post.

“Thank you to all the local heroes who are working to bring my husband Brandon and uncle Randy home,” her post said. “They have not yet been found, but we are staying positive.”

To volunteer in the offshore seach for the missing boaters:

Deborah Billmore’s Facebook post asked volunteer searchers to text to Paul at 239-634-3400:

Departure location
Vessel name
Captains name and cell number
First mate’s name and cell number
Vessel range

She said vessels will depart from their own location (ranging from Fort Myers to Marco Island) and search grids would be assigned after updated information is received at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 22.

‘Still not sure exactly what occurred’

Deborah Billmaier had posted earlier Sunday:

“Updates after speaking with the U.S. Coast Guard this morning,” Deborah Billmaier wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “The EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) was unfortunately still on the boat. They were bottom fishing when the incident occurred (still not sure exactly what occurred.)”

The post also mentioned that a couple of life jackets were not found on the boat, indicating that Spivey and Billmaier may be wearing them.

Who is involved in the Florida missing boaters search?

The U.S. Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg posted news of the search on social media Saturday morning, Dec. 20.

According to the Facebook post, air and surface crews from the agency and partner agencies U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Miami and Lee County Sheriff’s Office are involved in the search.

“The search effort support features an 87-foot boat on water, 45-foot boat, 60-foot helicopter, 144 plane, 6130 Air Force from Patrick Air Force Base and an 144 continuing through the day (not sure if this is a boat or a plane),” Deborah Billmaier wrote in her post the following morning.

An urgent marine broadcast has also been issued to all vessels in the area to help expand the search range, said Billmaier.

Community steps in to help in missing boater search in Florida

The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated one of the largest search parties in Southwest Florida history Sunday morning, Dec. 21, starting at first light, according to Deborah Billmaier.

Florida Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman shared the post on X.

Erin Shaw Harrel of Facebook group SWFL Boaters urged people Saturday to take to the water to search for the missing boaters, providing these coordinates for the search: 25-51.67N 083-12.16W.

Brent Stokes, owner of Stokes Marine, also asked for volunteers to help search.

According to Stokes, anyone willing to help with the search could call Tricia Spivey at 239-896-4099 or the U.S. Coast Guard at 727-322-4180.

Capt. Corrie Sergent of the Coast Guard’s Sector St. Petersburg posted on X Sunday morning, Dec. 21, noting crews were “pursuing all leads and saturating the (search) area.”

“Thank you to this amazing community for their support,’ Sergent said in the tweet.

Who are Randall Spivey, Brandon Billmaier ? Florida attorney and nephew missing off Fort Myers

Attorney Randall Spivey, 57, and his 33-year-old nephew Brandon Billmaier were reported missing at about 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19.

Tricia Spivey reported her husband and nephew missing Friday night, said Luis Garcia, supervisor on watch for the Coast Guard sector in St. Petersburg. “They were going to fish about 102 miles offshore.”

Spivey is 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.

Where was the boat of the missing fisherman found?

The pair went out in a 42-foot Freeman boat named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” Garcia said. The Coast Guard later found the boat floating upright in the Gulf about 70 miles off the coast of Naples, but no signs of the missing boaters.

Tricia Spivey says GPS coordinates from the boat’s spot tracker led them to that location near Marco Island and Flamingo. That’s where the search has been concentrated.

Where to call with information, help with search for missing Florida boaters

The Coast Coast asked anyone with pertinent information to contact the agency’s St. Petersburg sector at 866-881-1392.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office also requested the public’s help in locating Spivey and Billmaier.

If anyone knows about the pair’s whereabouts, they can call 911, if applicable, or call the sheriff’s office at 477-1000. To remain anonymous, you can also call SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.

Contributing: Cindy McCurry-Ross

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Florida

How old do Florida kids have to be to stay home alone on spring break?

Published

3 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Press Room

How old do Florida kids have to be to stay home alone on spring break?

Several Florida students are celebrating spring break this week, and parents and guardians may be looking for ways to keep their kids busy until school returns next week.

Bouncing around from daycare to summer camps to relatives’ houses can easily add up. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average annual cost of full-time child care in Florida ranges from $9,548 to $13,021, depending on the children’s ages.

With these expenses, some families might wonder whether their children are ready to stay home alone. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you make the decision.

At what age can kids stay home alone in Florida? What’s the youngest legal age?

Florida doesn’t have clear laws specifying an exact age at which children can legally stay home alone. It’s up to parents to decide when their children are old enough.

The state agency overseeing children’s welfare recommends that they not be left home alone before age 12.

The state does have more specific laws surrounding child abandonment and neglect. According to Florida State Statutes, it is a felony of the third degree to deprive a child of necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment.

Can a 12-year-old babysit siblings in Florida?

According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign recommends that children not be left alone before the age of 12. It also notes that older siblings should not supervise younger children until they are 15.

See tips for parents and caregivers letting kids stay home alone

Once you have determined that your child is ready to stay home alone, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families shared tips to help caregivers prepare children for being home alone:

Have a trial period and start small. When your child is ready, leave them home alone for a short time while staying nearby. This is a good way to see how they will manage.
Talk about it beforehand. Encourage your child to share their feelings about staying home alone with you, and address any thoughts or concerns they may have before leaving.
Teach them about safety. Before leaving your child home alone, make sure they are mature enough to handle the responsibility and understand the safety rules. Develop a family emergency plan to help them handle situations such as a fire, a power outage, or a stranger approaching the house. Practice basic first aid and teach them what to do if they need to contact emergency services, perhaps through role-play.
Establish family rules and set boundaries. Set clear guidelines about what your child can and cannot do while home alone. Establish rules for screen time, internet use, and the use of kitchen appliances and other potentially dangerous items.
Don’t overdo it. Avoid leaving your child home alone overnight or for extended periods. Consider other options or resources, such as family or friends, or programs offered by your child’s school, community centers, youth organizations, or faith-based groups, to help with supervising your child.
Follow up. After your child is left home alone (including during any trial period), talk about the experience with them. How did they feel about it? Were they nervous? Did anything unexpected come up? If they were watching another child, ask how they felt about doing so.

When is spring break for Florida students? See list by county

Spring break dates vary by county and range from early in March to mid-April. Here’s the list by county, with those in bold currently having its spreak break:

Special note: School calendars often change. Here’s a state list of homepages for each Florida school district.

Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK Florida

Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.

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Florida

Why TCPalm trends reporter loves Florida state parks and local animals

Published

1 day ago

March 15, 2026

Press Room

Why TCPalm trends reporter loves Florida state parks and local animals

TCPalm Trends Reporter Olivia Franklin has called the Treasure Coast home for about a year and a half.

Born and raised in Indiana, this Hoosier wanted a change of scenery and moved to the Treasure Coast to work for TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers. The area is much different from Indiana in weather, scenery and wildlife. She has had a blast exploring the Treasure Coast.

Q: What specifically do you love about the Treasure Coast and why?

I love how pretty much everything is different from Indiana, not that I don’t love it back there, but I desperately needed a change. Being close to the beach has been a great improvement. I try to wake up early and watch the sunrise on Jensen Beach as often as I can.

Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is another favorite of mine. I have gone there a few times to swim, tan and just hang out with friends on the beach. I was a competitive swimmer for 11 years so I will find any excuse to get in the water, even if there aren’t any lane lines in the ocean.

The weather is another big difference. Back in Indiana, whenever my friends and I wanted to do something we usually had to check that week’s forecast to see what day we could go or how we should dress. On the Treasure Coast I don’t have that problem. It has really helped me get out more because I don’t have the excuse of ‘I guess I have to go another day.’

Q: Is there anything you didn’t realize at first, but grew to love about the area?

I love how many nature related things there are to do here. Since moving I have gone to several state parks and nature preserves across the Treasure Coast including Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Seabranch Preserve State Park and Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge.

I have never been someone who goes on hikes or explores nature, but being in a new area has really pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and see what all the Treasure Coast has to offer.

Q: Did anything pleasantly surprise you about the area?

I was very surprised about all the different animals in the area. I have seen gopher tortoises, manatees, several different kinds of lizards, peacocks, armadillos, sandhill cranes and much more since moving to the Treasure Coast.

I was not expecting to see most of these animals when I got here, but it has been exciting to see them all up close. Fingers crossed I get to see a sea turtle soon.

Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.

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Florida

Powerball, Mega Millions wins in Florida from Publix, Circle K. See list

Published

2 days ago

March 14, 2026

Press Room

Powerball, Mega Millions wins in Florida from Publix, Circle K. See list

Was it you? Powerball and Mega Millions lottery drawings ahead of 2026 Pi Day result in 2 winners from Florida. $10 million tickets came from a Publix and Circle K.

Looks like a trip to the store resulted in a lot of dough.

A few bucks for a Powerball or Mega Millions ticket made some lucky winners in Florida a multimillionaire. After all, as they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.”

According to the Florida Lottery, there have been secondary winners in the big lottery games in the past week:

Friday, March 13, 2026, “Friday the 13th” Mega Millions drawing resulted in a big win here: A Mega Millions ticket purchased from Publix, 5230 U.S. 1, Vero Beach, Florida, won a second tier prize, a “10 times multiplier winner,” worth $10 million. Winning Mega Millions numbers for Friday, March 13, were 6-19-36-40-55 and the Mega Ball was 9. Though Friday the 13th has long been known for being unlucky or superstitious, that holiday paid off for someone in Florida.
Wednesday, March 11, 2026, winning Powerball numbers were 3-6-55-58-63 and the Powerball was 12. Power Play was 2x. Though those numbers produced a rollover, a Powerball Double Play winner in Florida nabbed $10 million, according to the Florida Lottery. That Quick Pick ticket came from Circle K, 10030 County Road 44, Leesburg, Florida.
Saturday, March 7, 2026, winning Powerball numbers were 17-18-30-50-68 and the Powerball was 24. Power Play was 3x. Though those numbers produced another rollover, a Florida ticket still won big: A ticket purchased here matched 5 for a $1 million prize.
Friday, March 6, 2026, lottery drawing resulted in another rollover ($533 million for Tuesday, March 10), although a secondary winner from Florida has a ticket worth $4 million. That Quick Pick ticket was purchased from Liquor and Wine Merchant, 8369 W. Sunrise Blvd., Plantation, Florida, according to the Florida Lottery. The winning numbers were 8-19-26-38-42 and the Mega Ball was 24.

Powerball tickets start at $2 apiece and Mega Millions tickets start at $5 apiece. Below is what to know about lottery odds, how long you have to claim the cash option if you bought a ticket in Florida and what happens to unclaimed prize money, according to the Florida Lottery.

The next Mega Millions lottery drawing is Tuesday, March 17, 2026, or St. Patrick’s Day, the luckiest holiday of the year. The Mega Millions jackpot is for $60 million. As they say in the lottery business, “good luck!”

How long do you have to cash in a Florida Lottery ticket?

Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.

Does the Florida Lottery reveal lottery winners? Can you stay anonymous if you win lottery in Florida?

According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”

However, the site states, the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”

Does Walmart sell lottery tickets? Where to buy lottery tickets in Florida

In Florida, most gas stations and some grocery stores sell lottery tickets. It’s harder to find a gas station that doesn’t sell Powerball, Mega Millions, Florida Lottery and scratch-off tickets than it is to find one that does.

Publix also sells lottery tickets and is known for selling many winning tickets. A lesser-known location is Walmart. Whether the Walmart location closest to you sells lottery tickets depends on your state and the store. Many Walmart locations in Florida have self-service lottery ticket vending machines or sell lottery tickets at the customer service desk.

You can use the “Where to Play” search tool on the Florida Lottery website to find a grocery store or gas station near you that sells lottery tickets.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the free Florida TODAY newsletter.

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