NFL PLAYERS MARQUIS COOPER AND COREY SMITH STILL MISSING FAMILY & FRIENDS CONTINUE SEARCH

This story is so sad. Our condolences go out to the families of Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith. We pray for a miracle that they can be found. We can't understand why the coast guard gave up the search for such high profile victims.

Four days into one of the US’s most-high profile ocean rescue operations, the Coast Guard has called off the hunt for one former and two current American Football players who went missing during a fishing trip.

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Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith, who play in the NFL, sailed out into the Gulf of Mexico in perfect fishing conditions with two friends on Saturday morning. But the weather turned and their 21ft boat capsized in strong winds, tipping the four men into the ocean.

Two days into a search that has gripped America, one of the men was found alone crouched on the upturned boat about 50 miles off the west coast of Florida. He was barely conscious and had no idea where his friends were.

The discovery of Nick Schuyler, 24, dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia but still alive, raised hopes that the others may yet be rescued but last night the Coast Guard announced that the search would be abandoned.

Family and friends of the missing men embraced and sobbed outside the Coast Guard station shortly before Captain Timothy Close announced that if there were any other survivors, they would have been found by now.

“The families understood that we put in a tremendous effort,” Mr Close said. Crews searched more than 24,000 miles of ocean but spotted no signs of the men except for a cool box and an empty life jacket 16 miles southeast of the boat.

Cooper, 26, a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders, and, Smith, 29, a defensive end who played for the Detroit Lions for the past three seasons, were lost at sea with William Bleakley, 25, a former University of South Florida player.

Along with Mr Schuyler, the men left Clearwater Pass at about 6.30am on Saturday in a boat thought to belong to Cooper. His father, a television sports commentator in Arizona, described him as an "avid fisherman", who frequently went on deep-sea trips.

They set out from the Tampa Bay area in calm weather but heavy winds picked up through the day and the seas strengthened with waves of 7ft and higher. By Sunday, waves in the area were peaking at 15ft.

Mr Schuyler, who is still in hospital, said that the fishing boat capsized as the four were pulling up the anchor on Saturday evening. Mr Bleakley then swam under the boat to fetch the lifejackets.

He could find only three, however, so he brought up a cushion, which he used while the other men wore the jackets. The waves were too powerful, however, and Cooper and Smith were separated from the boat while the other two tried to hang on. source