UPDATE -- Two boaters who never returned from a Sunday fishing trip on the Manatee River have been located and are safe after an overnight Coast Guard search and rescue.
According to the Bradenton Herald, the men's boat ran out of gas near Venice, Fla. and their cell phones died, forcing them to spend the night on a nearby island. They were able to contact their families Monday morning.
#UPDATE #GoodNews missing fishermen found safe @ Crows Nest Marina in Venice,FL. Men reportedly ran out of fuel.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) May 2, 2016
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BRADENTON, Fla.— The Coast Guard is searching for two missing fishermen on a 22-foot boat in the Manatee River, Monday.
Missing are Thomas Batten, 33, from St. Petersburg and Ryan Killoran, 27, from Bradenton, Florida.
At 12:10 a.m. watchstanders from Coast Guard Station Cortez, Florida, received a phone call from Killoren's friend reporting the men missing after they failed to return from a fishing trip. The men reportedly departed the 59th St. Boat Ramp in Bradenton at sunrise to fish in the Manatee River for Tarpon. They were last seen at 6 p.m. stating they would fish for two more hours, but never returned.
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Clearwater, Florida, and a 29-foot Response Boat Small-II boat crew from Station Cortez were launched to conduct the search.
Crewmembers from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Comission, Manatee County Sheriff's Office and Bradenton Police Department are aiding in the search.
Anyone with knowledge of Batten and Killoran's whereabouts is asked to contact Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at 727-824-7506.
