Father files suit, wants access to missing teen boater's phone

Apple analyzing iPhone found on capsized boat

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. ā€“ Last week, a judge ruled that an iPhone belonging to one of the two missing teenage boaters from South Florida be sent to Apple for analysis.

Now, the father of one of the boys has filed a lawsuit demanding that he have access to the information on the phone.

"Phil has a lived with the horror of not knowing what has happened to his son, Perry," Gary Farmer, an attorney representing the father, said.

Perry Cohen and AustinĀ Stephanos, both 14-year-old boys, disappeared last July during a fishing trip off the coast of Jupiter.

The phone belonging to Austin was recovered after the boat was spotted at sea last month. Ā 

The phone is the subject of a lawsuit filed by Perry's mother, Pamela Cohen, against theĀ StephanosĀ family and the state agency assigned to investigate the disappearance.

Philip Cohen has filed a lawsuit to intervene with Pamela Cohen's motion to obtain data on Austin's cell phone claiming that he wants access to the information on the phone.

"When the Cohens filed this lawsuit against the Stephanos, we felt we should intervene so that we get whatever information is gleamed from the boat, the iPhone, whatever report they have, so we're all looking for the same thing," said Farmer. Ā 

Farmer said the lawsuit is about finding his client closure, and Philip Cohen is "just searching for answers."

"So the iPhone is really what we think the key piece of evidence that's (going to) shed light on what the boys intentions were maybe give us information about their location," Farmer said.