http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/27/us/ap-us-missing-teen-fishermen.html?_r=0

Apparently a lot of discussion about the parents "letting" their boys hop in a 19' boat and head to the Bahamas on a fishing adventure.

Kids mature at different ages. Lord I know, I have 5 of them. My youngest is 17 and he is by far the most mature of any of them, focused, great grades, great kid and even though I have very few rules for him, I doubt I would let him go do something like that.

It's easy for folks to second guess the parents, and I'm sure they are certainly second guessing themselves right now. I can't imagine what they are going through. My prayers are with them, the buys and the rescue and search teams.

I hope this end well and the buys have a great story to tell...

I saw that hope all ends well for them. Didn't know they were headed that far away. Prayers for a safe return.

No way in hell I'd allow my kids complete control of a boat in the Atlantic at 14, regardless of their level of maturity. Too many things that can go wrong where experience will be needed to save your life. I don't give a damn how mature they are, a 14 year old has no business alone in a boat in the ocean.

Something doesn't sit right with the whole deal. Stuff isn't adding up. I wouldn't be surprised if foul play doesn't come into it.

I'm not a boater, but I don't think a $110 worth of fuel is going to go far. Especially a trip to the Bahamas.

Wow hope they find them! Two 14 year olds going alone to the Bahamas 75 miles across the Atlantic Ocean is a joke! Even if they weren't going ashore and just fishing. I've made a similar trip as a 21 year old but my friends dad captained the boat. I've never seen a 14 yesr old prepared to handle that.

Exactly what I have thought the whole time. I'm not going to bash the parents, and question their decisions, but I don't care how mature the kids are. They lack life's experience to help them make decisions when certain situations arise.

From what I have read on the Florida Sportsman site these two young men are experienced avid offshore fisherman and both have a boating license but young doesn't overcome experience in my opinion. It appears from others as they were coming in from a bad storm they say these two were heading out and seasoned fisherman and boat captains were wondering who would be going out in a violent thunderstorm.

According to the coast guard they are now looking off the coast of Jacksonville thinking the current may have placed them in that direction. They have already searched the ocean off of Jupiter the size of the state of Indiana.

Prayers for these young men.

x2!!!

They could have been just topping off the fuel and filling extra fuel cans. We used to do that years ago to get out farther than we should be fishing in the gulf. I don't think the parents knew their plans, but I guess that's why you don't let kids have too much freedom, they often make dumb decisions.

WALA FOX 10 has a in depth story about this on their web page but I don't know how to post the link for y'all.

No way in hell I'd turn two teenagers loose in a boat anywhere,especially on the saltwater,how seasoned can a 14 year old be?i pray they are alright but it's not looking good right now

I haven't been following this closely and I certainly don't want to speculate but I will say this. I watched an interview on this mornings news with both boys moms and they seemed very calm. If my son were missing in a situation like this, my wife and I would have to be heavily medicated. We would both be hysterical to the extreme. With the f'ed up world we live in today, my sons safety is constantly on my mind. I hope all ends well in this situation.

They just showed the father and his neighbor joe Namath on the local Florida station. Offering a reward to find kids. Father said son could only take boat into intracoastal and not past some other area. Wouldn't allow to go to Bahamas or something to that effect. Not allowed past a certain point.

I thought the same thing Joe. How could they be so calm? I guess some parents handle things differently but no way I would be that calm and have any composure to be on TV news.

2 - 14 year old boys have no business being at the beach by themselves without an adult, much less in the Atlantic Ocean or Intercoastal water way for that matter.

I've said it many times. Florida is a "special" place with lots of "special" people.

SMH

14 is too young in my opinion to be out very far with a boat. Praying for a good outcome.

I had a bass boat when I was 14 but I wasn't going out in the gulf

I wouldn't let a 14 year old take a boat in the pass at OBA.

I've been boating in the gulf/bay/delta my entire life and I will say that things get bad FAST. Experience is what saves your ass from bad situations and that's no place for a pair of 14yr olds. I hate it but I'm not optimistic on them being found alive.

When I was 16 I took a 16 foot aluminum boat with a 20 year old 25 hp tiller steer motor to the first rig past sand island. It was a calm day and was very enticing. Damn stupidest thing I've ever done.

x2 what Josh is saying. I will also add that I'm a 48 year old man that's boated in the gulf for 20+ years and a trip across the Atlantic to the Bahama's would have my bung hole in a knot. I've got a buddy that did it 10 er so years ago in a 30 foot Sea Ray and he said it was not a pleasant trip. Beat him and his boat up pretty good. Said he would never do it again.

If Joe Namath said they was good kids....They are prolly good kids...02...100,000 thousand dollar reward for info...Prayers for their Families...

Mine too (drawn up). I've been offshore multiple times per year since I was 10 years old. No way I would do it in anything less than a big sportfish. Hell I get nervousness running 25 miles offshore in a 30' CC. So much can go wrong in a matter of minutes. Last Tim we went out seas were forecasted for 4-6'. By lunch they were 10+. In a 19' boat it would be dangerous fast!

I don't go out in 6' seas regardless of vessel size.

The report I heard this morning was also saying they weren't supposed to go out of the pass.

Myself like others on here grew up and continue to fish offshore. I have been 80 plus miles offshore in the gulf with seasoned experienced captains when the seas go from a light chop to 8 plus and you better know what you are doing or it won't end well. Not that I've ever been but I would imagine that the Alantic Ocean is worse. The only time my daddy ever let me steer the boat at 14 is when it was on the trailer parked. He finally let me take it out without him in my twenties but that would be with another old salt my uncle.

19 foot boat , 70 miles across , not me. My son and his buddies did this trip last year and this year in a 26 foot boat and it gets rough. Last year only 4 ' seas and was worse than this years 8' seas. Depends on the direction your heading into the waves. It's just not for me and i worry about my son's safety.

They may be good seamen but 14 is 14

The search has been called off. May God provide peace for the families.