Speaking over the whine of the pneumatic drills in his Citrus County auto shop, Bob Bleakley said hadn't had time to look at the report, released moments before, outlining what investigators say happened during the boating accident that took the life of his son, Will, and NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith.. ...more

March 27, 2009

Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are close to finalizing their report of the boating mishap in which two pro football players and a former University of South Florida athlete were lost at sea. ...more

March 24, 2009

The wife of Oakland Raiders linebacker Victor Marquis Cooper is seeking a presumptive death certificate after his disappearance in a boating accident. ...more

March 12, 2009

The wife of Oakland Raiders linebacker Victor Marquis Cooper is seeking a presumptive death certificate after his disappearance in a boating accident. ...more

March 11, 2009

The families of two missing boaters met with the sole survivor of a boating accident to find some answers. ...more

March 9, 2009

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday to remember and honor Will Bleakley, a former University of South Florida football player lost during a boating accident last weekend. ...more

March 8, 2009

A memorial service for a former University of South Florida football player lost during a boating accident in the Gulf last weekend will be held in Crystal River today. ...more

March 7, 2009

As hopes of finding three missing boaters waned Tuesday after a Saturday boating accident 45 miles off of the Clearwater coast, it brought to the forefront the importance for boaters to follow simple safety procedures. ...more

March 4, 2009

SEBRING — Sheriff Susan Benton accepted a letter of resignation Monday from a deputy who was charged in April by the U.S. Coast Guard with intoxicated operation of a vessel, while boating in a Pine Island canal. Former deputy Craig Skipper reportedly took an excursion in his boat on April 18, when he was stopped by the U.S. Coast Guard after a complaint was filed. Coast guard officials reported Skipper appeared intoxicated but he refused twice to take a sobriety test, an investigation report by Sheriff's Internal Affairs Officer Lt. Gus Garcia stated. The agency received a complaint that the boat was "operating on plane" (speeding) in a no wake zone and that the boat operator was "exposing himself," Garcia's report stated. ...more

June 24, 2008

SEBRING — A Sebring man, originally charged in the boating death of a 19-year-old woman, has been sentenced to 60 days. State's Attorney Steve Houchin declined to prosecute on the most serious charge, boating under the influence-manslaughter. Instead, William Barbour, 38, 3920 Lakeview Dr., pled guilty to reckless operation of a vessel and received 60 days in Highlands County Jail – with credit for time served – and a $500 fine. He must also pay $238 in court costs, and restitution was ordered. Florida Fish & Wildlife Lt. Dale Knapp made a fundamental mistake when, after the accident, he and other officers allowed Barbour to go inside his home alone to change clothes, Houchin said. Then they allowed Barbour's wife to drive him to the sheriff's office. ...more

June 17, 2008