On March 1, 2009, Victor Marquis Cooper, a 26-year-old Oakland Raiders linebacker, went missing off the coast of Clearwater, Florida, following a boating accident. He was accompanied by three other men: Corey Smith, a free-agent NFL defensive lineman, and two former University of South Florida football players, William Bleakley and Nick Schuyler. The group had embarked on a fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico aboard Cooper's 21-foot vessel.
The tragic incident began on the evening of February 28, 2009, when the boat's anchor became stuck. In an attempt to dislodge it, Cooper put the boat in forward, causing the vessel to take on water and capsize, throwing all four men overboard. What followed was a desperate struggle for survival in rough seas and dropping temperatures. The men clung to the overturned hull as they battled hypothermia.
A search and rescue mission was launched by the Coast Guard after the men failed to return. On March 2, Nick Schuyler was found alive, clinging to the overturned boat. He was suffering from hypothermia and dehydration. Schuyler, the sole survivor, recounted the harrowing ordeal, stating that his companions had succumbed to the harsh conditions one by one. According to Schuyler, Cooper became unresponsive and was lost to the sea in the early morning of March 1.
An extensive search by the Coast Guard found no sign of Cooper, Smith, or Bleakley. The three men are presumed to have been lost at sea, and their bodies were never recovered. Originally from Gilbert, Arizona, Victor Marquis Cooper had a degree in sociology from the University of Washington before his professional football career. The story of the ill-fated fishing trip has been documented in the book "Not Without Hope," co-authored by the survivor Nick Schuyler, and has been the subject of planned film and documentary projects.
Last Seen: Mar 01, 2009
