Four men, two of them current players in the NFL, are missing off the coast of Florida. Their 21-foot fishing boat did not return from an outing after the weather turned bad. The boat is owned by Marquis Cooper, a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders. Also on board was Corey Smith, a defensive end playing with the Detroit Lions, and two former University of South Florida players.

The Coast Guard has said they received no SOS from the boat, but that it doesn't necessarily mean none was sent. However, the four men were never in contact with the Coast Guard even before the weather became poor. They searched for the boat with a helicopter and an 87-foot ship to cover a 750-square mile area until the weather forced them to stop.

Cooper is an experienced deep sea fisherman, and Smith has also gone out before. Smith's father said that the same four were out the weekend before, and were headed toward a shipwreck about 50 miles off the coast where the fishing was good. However, the size of the boat has some worried due to the severity of the seas, which became very rough quickly. By later Saturday, the time when the boat was to have returned, the National Weather Report issued a small craft advisory.

Anyone who owns a boat and takes it out regularly will tell you the weather can become untenable very quickly. By all accounts, Cooper had lifejackets and flares on board, and was experienced. Boating accidents can happen to anyone, no matter how experienced or prepared.

If you have lost a loved one in a boating accident, please contact an experienced injury personal injury lawyer in your area for an initial consultation.