Bodies Identified in Search for Family Off Florida Coast

But the Coast Guard has called off the search with two still missing
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 25, 2016 1:34 PM CDT
Bodies Identified in Search for Family Off Florida Coast
Two bodies found after a family went missing while sailing off the coast of Florida were identified as Ace Kimberly, 45, and his 17-year-old daughter Rebecca.   (US Coast Guard)

The Coast Guard identified two of the bodies found after a family disappeared while sailing off the coast of Florida but called off the search for the remaining family members Saturday, CNN reports. According to NBC News, the bodies discovered during the search, which covered nearly 34,000 miles, were those of Ace Kimberly, 45, and his 17-year-old daughter Rebecca. Kimberly's sons Roger, 13, and Donny, 15, are still missing. The family was living on a 29-foot sailboat that was "not in the best of shape" when they set sail from Sarasota last weekend, planning to make repairs to the boat in Fort Myers. On Sunday afternoon, Kimberly called his brother about 6-foot waves. That was the last anyone heard from the family.

Kimberly's brother didn't report the family missing until Tuesday morning. Search crews found one body Wednesday and another Thursday. They still held out hope of finding some of the family alive Thursday after seeing what they believed was a flare during the night. In addition to the two bodies, searchers found six life vests, two kayaks, and a bucket of personal items floating near where the bodies were found. Coast Guard Capt. Gregory Case says calling off the search is "truly one of the most difficult things we do." The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will now investigate what happened to the boat and family, the AP reports. The boat still hasn't been found, and it's unclear if it sank. (More missing person stories.)

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