Austin Stephanos

Families calls off private search for missing teens

The Coast Guard spent a full week looking for Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos, who went missing on a fishing trip July 24. The family then launched a private search for the 14-year-old Tequesta teens, with volunteers scouring waters off Georgia and the Carolinas by helicopter, plane and boat.

But the families called it off Saturday, saying there was no new credible evidence or clues to guide the search.

Coast Guard: Search for teens will be suspended at sunset

However, Capt. Mark Fedor said the search would continue in the meantime and has been a "true all hands on deck effort."

He said the Coast Guard took into consideration Perry Cohen's and Austin Stephanos' age, both 14, their lengthy experience on the water and their "will to live" in keeping the search going so long.

He expressed his "heartfelt condolences" and called the case "excruciating and gut-wrenching."

After week of searching, no sign of boys lost at sea

The Coast Guard says crews are still scouring waters from Florida to South Carolina on Friday but haven't found any new clues in the disappearance.

Fourteen-year-olds Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos of Tequesta have been missing a week. Their capsized boat was found Sunday.

The Coast Guard says it'll keep searching until it believes there's no reasonable chance the boys could still be found alive.

The Latest: 911 call reporting teen boaters missing released

Nick Korniloff called the Jupiter Police Department at 4:23 p.m. Friday to alert them about his stepson Perry Cohen and his friend Austin Stephanos.

In a calm voice, the stepfather says the 14-year-old boys hadn't been heard from since about 11:30 a.m. and calls to a cellphone went unanswered.

"Usually he checks in and he's told to check in on a regular basis," Korniloff said.

The dispatcher says, "And you know we had a storm before, too?"

The Latest: Search for missing boaters ongoing, says Coast Guard

Chief Petty Officer Ryan Doss, the spokesman for the Florida Coast Guard district, said Wednesday: "There is no plan to suspend the search today."

VIDEO: Search continues for missing boys

Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos have not been seen since they went boating over the weekend.

The search for the boys is being conducted by land, sea and air.

Lieutenant Janelle Setta of the US Coast Guard piloted a C-130 aircraft that took part in the search on Tuesday.

6 days missing: Search area for missing teens boaters grows

The crew has urged vessels in the wide expanse of the Atlantic to report any potential clues they might spot.

The vague rule of thumb is that humans can survive three days without water and three weeks without food, one expert said, but examples defying that abound — especially if people have supplies, wear life jackets or can cling to something.

By Wednesday, it still wasn't clear if 14-year-olds Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos fell into any of those categories.

The Latest on missing teens: Mothers hold out hope

Speaking Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show, Pamela Cohen says she believe her son, Perry Cohen and his friend Austin Stephanos are "doing everything they can to stay afloat." The 14-year-olds have been missing since Friday when they took a 19-foot boat into the Atlantic to fish.

Massive search underway for teens who set out for Bahamas

What began as a teenage summer adventure — a chaperone-free getaway on the high seas — took an ominous turn after the 19-foot boat that carried Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos was found capsized and days of searches proved fruitless. 

But authorities and the boys' families held out hope, saying the teens were consummate seamen and a rescue is still possible.