Bodies of 2 missing boaters found in Tampa Bay
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities have found the bodies of two missing boaters in Tampa Bay, a day after fielding a distress call about a boat on fire.
Authorities identified one of the people retrieved Sunday as Alton Earl Jones, 56. A female victim has not yet been identified. Coast Guard officials say there may have been a third boater.
The night-long search for the boaters began Saturday at 8:30 p.m. when the Coast Guard received a call from a Spanish-speaking person reporting the blaze. About half an hour later, officials came across a fire-damaged, unmanned boat near MacDill Air Force Base.
The two victims were found Sunday around 11 a.m. The woman was wearing a life jacket; Jones' life jacket was partly on. Autopsies are planned for the pair.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
