Florida Boys Lost At Sea: Parents Knew About Storm And Can Be Sued, Judge Says

The families of two Florida boys lost at sea are still battling it out in court almost two years after their sons vanished. Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, disappeared after they took a boat out to go fishing off the coast of Florida in July 2015. A judge ruled Wednesday that Cohen’s family could file a wrongful death lawsuit against Stephanos’ family on the grounds that Stephanos’ mother knew the boys were heading out into a storm and did nothing to stop them.

Wednesday’s ruling overturned a previous injunction that said Cohen’s family could not seek more than $500 in damages from Stephanos’ family. The Cohen family said they wanted to seek additional damages, according to court documents.

Read: Florida Boys Planned To Go To Bahamas, Posted Snapchats Just Before Disappearing

Austin and Perry launched a small boat out of Jupiter Inlet Jul. 24, 2015. It was the last time they were ever seen. Investigators were able to discern through social media and interviews with friends and family that the pair may have been headed for the Bahamas, though their bodies were never found. The 19-foot boat was discovered eight months after they disappeared.

A report issued by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found Stephanos’ mother, Carly Black, was negligent when she allowed the boys to venture out to sea on their own. The report said Black allowed the boys to “go offshore into the Atlantic Ocean, an inherently dangerous environment, in a minimally equipped 19-foot boat with a single outboard motor without adult or parental supervision.”

In addition, investigators said Black failed to notify authorities or Cohen’s parents until several hours had passed. The Cohen family told investigators that Stephanos’ mother knew their son was not allowed to go out to sea without adult supervision, a fact they said Black apparently disregarded.

“The egregious lapse in judgment and failure to exercise due care had the effect of culminating in the disappearance of both boys who are now believed to have perished,” the report said.

Cohen’s parents had not yet filed a wrongful death suit as of Monday afternoon, but family attorney Guy Rubin told WPTV they planned to do so at some point in the week. The statute of limitations in the case means they won't be able to file a lawsuit after this month.

“It is irrefutable that both Austin’s parents knew that Perry was not supposed to go out of the inlet unsupervised,” said Rubin.

Read: Federal Lawsuit Filed In Case Of Florida Boys Lost At Sea

Black, however, said the two boys fished alone often and that the situation was a “tragic mishap.”

“As a result of the pending and prospective civil litigation involving this tragic accident, Carly and her representatives, will not, at the present time, be granting interviews or giving statements concerning the heartbreaking circumstances of the loss of her son, Austin, and his friend, Perry,” read a statement released Thursday on behalf of Black. “There will be appropriate occasion for Carly to address the issues relating to this tragedy, but because of the civil litigation, and based upon the advice of her legal counsel, this is not the appropriate time or occasion to do so.”