Second body found at sea in search for missing family

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The Coast Guard released this photo of the Kimberly family and their boat, taken Saturday.

The U.S. Coast Guard says crews have found a second body during their search for a family missing off the coast of Sarasota County.  Overnight, they also spotted additional items believed to belong to Kimberlys.

The missing father and his three children have been missing since Sunday.

Ace Kimberly, and his three children, 13-year-old Roger Kimberly, 15-year-old Donny Kimberly, and 17-year-old Rebecca Kimberly, left Sarasota on their 29-foot sailboat Sunday morning headed to Fort Myers Beach to repair the boat.

The Coast Guard said Ace Kimberly contacted his brother saying they were hitting rough weather and he was concerned for the family's safety. That was the last contact anyone had with the family, the Coast Guard said, and there was no call for emergency help.

Wednesday, searchers found a body believed to be a member of the family about 40 miles west of Sanibel, but that person has not yet been identified.  The identity of the second body, found just after 11 a.m. four miles southeast of the first body, has also not been released.

A sailboat mast was also spotted by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft 101 miles off the coast of Fort Myers. A Coast Guard ship is on its way to that location to investigate.

Earlier, crews had located a debris field in the area they searched Wednesday, which included a tarp, six life jackets, water bottles, a basketball, two kayaks the boat was towing, and one or two shoes.

Around 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning, crews found a yellow kayak believed to belong to the family, along with a bucket filled with birth certificates, a GPS, and a wallet, among other things. Around 2:30 a.m., crews spotted what appeared to be a flare and began to search that area. "We remain hopeful we'll find survivors," said Capt. Greg Case.

Multiple agencies continue to aid in the search, including Florida Fish and Wildlife, the Charlotte and Lee County Sheriff's Offices, and the U.S. Air Force. 

Anyone with information should call the Coast Guard St. Petersburg at 727-824-7506

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