Mystery at Sea: No Sign of “Remote Rescue Signal” in Disappearance of Florida Boaters Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier
As of December 27, 2025, the disappearance of two Florida attorneys—57-year-old Randall “Randy” Spivey and his 33-year-old nephew Brandon Billmaier—remains a heartbreaking unsolved mystery, with no confirmed reports of faint beeping sounds, remote rescue signals, or sightings of “bright shadows” by nearby fishermen.
The pair, both experienced fishermen and personal injury lawyers, set out on a deep-sea fishing trip aboard Spivey's 42-foot Freeman catamaran from a private dock in Iona, near Fort Myers, early on the morning of December 19, 2025. They were expected to return by evening, but when they failed to check in, their families alerted authorities around 9 p.m. that night.
By early Saturday, December 20, the U.S. Coast Guard located the vessel, variously reported as named “Unstopp-A-Bull” or “Unstoppable,” approximately 70-100 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, near Marco Island. The boat was found drifting upright with its engines still running, but eerily empty—no trace of Spivey or Billmaier aboard. Notably, two life jackets were missing from the vessel, sparking hope that the men may have been wearing them and could still be afloat. However, the boat's Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), a critical distress device, remained onboard and had not been activated.
A massive multi-agency search ensued, covering over 6,700 square miles—an area roughly the size of Connecticut. The operation involved Coast Guard aircraft and vessels, volunteer pilots in private planes, local fire and law enforcement boats from Lee and Collier counties, and even civilian groups. Despite these extensive efforts, no signs of the men were found. On December 22, at sunset, the Coast Guard made the difficult decision to suspend active search and rescue operations, citing the exhaustive coverage and low probability of finding them on the surface.
In a statement, the Coast Guard expressed condolences: “We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of Mr. Spivey and Mr. Billmaier during this extremely difficult time.” Family members, including Brandon's wife Deborah Billmaier, echoed respect for the decision, noting that the men “would never want anyone else to put their life in danger.”
The case has since transitioned to a federal missing persons investigation led by the FBI, raising questions about potential foul play or unusual circumstances surrounding the disappearance. Authorities have theorized that one man may have fallen overboard, with the other attempting a rescue, only for the still-running boat to drift away unreachable.
Rumors circulating online, including claims of authorities receiving “faint, unexplained beeping sounds” from the boat hours after the disappearance—possibly suggesting a personal locator beacon or other signal—or reports from nearby fishermen of seeing “two bright shadows” (potentially flares, lights, or silhouettes), have not been substantiated in any official reports or credible news sources as of late December 2025. These details appear to stem from unverified social media speculation, reminiscent of past high-profile maritime mysteries where acoustic anomalies or visual sightings fueled theories but later proved unfounded.
Spivey, founder of the Spivey Law Firm in Fort Myers, was described by loved ones as a devoted husband, father, and safety-conscious boater with over 30 years of fishing experience. Billmaier, a trial attorney at the Shiner Law Group in Boca Raton who followed in his uncle's footsteps, was a newlywed whose wife has shared emotional pleas for information. Both men were passionate about the sea, making their vanishing during a routine outing all the more tragic.
The Southwest Florida community rallied strongly, with volunteers scouring the Gulf and families holding out hope for a Christmas miracle that ultimately did not come. Deborah Billmaier, in interviews, spoke of her husband's love for fishing and family, finding some solace in knowing he was doing what he loved.
While the active search has ended, the FBI continues to investigate, and families urge anyone with information—particularly boaters or fishermen in the Gulf during mid-December—to come forward. The absence of distress signals, combined with the empty but operational boat, leaves many questions unanswered.
This case underscores the unpredictable dangers of offshore fishing, even for seasoned individuals with proper equipment. As the new year approaches, the loved ones of Randall Spivey and Brandon Billmaier cling to hope amid profound grief, awaiting any breakthrough that could bring closure.