• U.S.

Rescuers Find Bodies During Search for Missing Family Off Florida Coast

2 minute read
Updated: | Originally published: ;

Rescuers have found two bodies and a broken mast as of Thursday afternoon while searching for a father and his three teenage children whose boat disappeared Sunday.

The U.S. Coast Guard said rescuers spotted a first body in the water on Wednesday afternoon, and a family member has since identified the deceased as 17-year-old Rebecca Kimberly, one of the missing teens, Fox News reports. Rescuers had found debris including life jackets, water bottles and tennis shoes earlier in the day.

The search team found a second body, which remains unidentified, around 11 a.m. on Thursday. Within the hour, they also found a sailboat mast they believe belonged to the family’s ship.

Ace Kimberly, his daughter Rebecca, 17, and sons Donald, 15, and Roger, 13, were sailing from Sarasota to Fort Myers, Fla., on Sunday afternoon to repair the 29-foot sailboat on which they lived. The Coast Guard learned of their disappearance Tuesday after Kimberly’s brother became concerned that he hadn’t heard from the family.

At a Thursday press conference, a Coast Guard representative said rescuers believed they saw a flare in the search area around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, raising hopes that they can rescue surviving members of the family.

[Fox News]

More Must-Reads From TIME

Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com