Coast Guard

Coast Guard officials made the announcement at a 3 p.m. news conference.

Robert Green, father of missing crew member LaShawn Rivera, said despite the decision, "I think we're still hopeful. Miracles do happen, and it's God's way only. I'm prayerful, hopeful and still optimistic."

The coast guard said Monday it had rescued 2,492 people in 70 operations off the eastern islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Agathonissi, Farmakonissi, Kos and Symi from Friday morning until Monday morning.

The coast guard also rescued another 13 people in the water near Chios. One person was unconscious and hospitalized.

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.

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."

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.

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

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.