PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA — Nine months after two Florida teens vanished at sea, a Norwegian freighter spotted their 19-foot Seacraft capsized miles from the Bermuda coast. The finding has revealed new clues about their disappearance.
Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, were last seen leaving Florida's Jupiter Inlet on July 24, 2015 for a fishing excursion off Florida's coast. The teens disappeared that afternoon as a large storm hit the area.
Months later, the teens' capsized boat was discovered about 100 miles off of the Bermuda coast, reported CNN. According to investigators, the boat's battery switch and ignition had been intentionally switched off before the vessel capsized. The battery switch is reportedly difficult to get to and can't be maneuvered by natural forces like wind or currents, suggesting that someone manually shut them off.
According to the Palm Beach Post, there are various reasons for why Stephanos and Cohen may have turned off the switch and ignition. The teens may have switched them off in order to conserve energy. Both the bilge pump, which pumps out water, and the radio are powered by the battery. They may have also stopped to visit with another boater or just decided to drop anchor. However, it's also possible that a third party may have switched them off, which would indicate there was foul play involved with the teens' disappearance.
Stephanos' iPhone was discovered on board and may hold clues as to what happened to the two missing teens, reported ABC-affiliate WPBF. The iPhone has been a source of tension between the two boys' families. Until recently, Austin Stephanos' father had refused to allow state investigators to inspect the phone in case it ruined his chances of recovering the data.
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