ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The U.S. Coast Guard has recovered one body during a search for a missing family, consisting of a father and three children, who vanished off Florida's Gulf coast on Sunday.
"This is still an ongoing search and rescue and we still have three persons out there that we’re trying desperately to locate and we still have hope for that," Capt. Gregory Case, commander of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, said Wednesday at a news conference.
Relatives of the missing family tell Local 10 News, the remains found are believed to be of Rebecca Kimberly.
The Coast Guard is still searching for the other three missing family members.
Ace Kimberly, 45, and his children, Roger, 13, Donny, 15, and Rebecca, 17, left Sarasota about 7 a.m. Sunday en route to Fort Myers to repair their sailboat.
"A storm came through and it was six-foot seas that he was experiencing and a lot of rain and wind, and that's all we know for sure," Case said.
The father called his brother, who lives in Fort Myers, about 3 p.m. the same day to say that he and his children were in 6-foot seas near Englewood. The family has not been heard from since.
The Coast Guard received a report from a concerned family member Tuesday and began its search.
"We later found out that he had talked to his brother Sunday afternoon and that his brother said he was experiencing rough seas and thunderstorms, and he was worried and wanted his brother to send him some weather reports, and that's the last he heard of him,"Case said.
Case said Kimberly is divorced from his children's mother, who lives out of state. She is on her way down to Florida in hopes that authorities are able to find her children.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family," Case said. "I know this is a super difficult time for them, and we are doing everything we can and throwing everything we have in the search for them."
Numerous state and local maritime emergency responders are also assisting in the search.
Search crews are asking mariners to keep a sharp lookout and contact the Coast Guard with any information regarding the whereabouts of the missing family.
Case said an aircraft spotted some items in the water about 33 nautical miles off Sanibel Island that they believe are from the family's sailboat.
The items include four water bottles that were tied together, a pair of tennis shoes, a basketball, a propane tank, a tarp and six life jackets.
"We immediately contacted the family and the brother, the reporting source, and found out these items did indeed correlate to his brother's vessel," Case said. "They are terrified as you can imagine. They're all feeling what we're all feeling -- very anxious and upset and hoping for the best."
Case said authorities got in contact with a nearby boater, who went to retrieve the items.
"They went over and took possession of those items, and then our station boat is headed out there to take possession of those items," Case said.
A kayak that the family was believed to have been towing was found Wednesday.
"Finding the kayak and life jackets signals that we are in a dire situation," Case said. "We are continuing to keep in very close contact with the family and keep them updated on all developments during this difficult time. Locating the debris inside of our search field indicates that we are in the right area, and we are aggressively searching for Ace, Becky, Donny and Roger."
Neighbors said they are devastated by the news of the family's disappearance.
"I see them running and playing," Jose Daniel Ramos said. "They're always laughing and having a good time."
Anyone with information about the family's whereabouts is asked to call the Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at 727-824-7506.