Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier Missing After Fishing Trip off Fort Myers Coast

Authorities in Florida are asking for the public’s help in locating Randall Spivey, 57, and Brandon Billmaier, 33, an uncle and nephew who went missing after failing to return from a fishing trip near Fort Myers.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) confirmed that a search was launched on Saturday, Dec. 20, after the two men were reported missing the day before and classified as “endangered adults.”

According to investigators, Spivey and Billmaier left early Friday morning on Dec. 19 aboard a 42-foot Freeman fishing boat from a residence in the 15000 block of Intracoastal Court in Fort Myers. They were expected to return later that afternoon but never made it back.

Randall Spivey is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He stands 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs approximately 245 pounds. He was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark-colored shirt.

Brandon Billmaier is described as a white male with strawberry-blond hair and brown eyes. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 250 pounds.

The U.S. Coast Guard has joined the search effort. Capt. Corrie Sergent, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, said crews continue to search both by air and sea.

“Today, we continue to search with air and surface crews, pursuing all leads and saturating the search area,” Sergent said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the families as we continue our efforts.”

The Coast Guard later confirmed that the men’s boat was found approximately 70 miles offshore, but there was no sign of either Spivey or Billmaier. Search operations have continued day and night across a wide area.

Billmaier’s wife, Deborah Billmaier, shared a heartbreaking message on social media, saying the family is offering a monetary reward for information leading to the men’s discovery.

“My husband, Brandon, went out fishing with his uncle off the coast of Fort Myers,” she wrote. “They left early Friday morning and were meant to return that afternoon. When we hadn’t heard from them by 7:30 p.m., we contacted the Coast Guard.”

She later said she received a call early Sunday morning confirming the boat had been located but was unoccupied.

The U.S. Coast Guard St. Petersburg also issued a public advisory, warning that uncoordinated search efforts by private vessels could interfere with official rescue operations and create unsafe conditions.

Authorities urge anyone with information on the whereabouts of Randall Spivey or Brandon Billmaier to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 239-477-1000 or call 911. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through SWFL Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.

The search remains ongoing.