Charter captain describes subdued search for missing boaters

MADIERA BEACH, Fla.— A charter captain says the search for two NFL players and another man off Florida’s Gulf Coast has become a subdued effort to find their remains.

Capt. Marti Heath said today that charter boats will continue to search as they take fishermen out. That’s after a dozen or so boats conducted dedicated searches yesterday.

The Coast Guard called off its hunt Tuesday for Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent NFL defensive lineman Corey Smith of Richmond, Va., and former South Florida player William Bleakley.

The friends have been missing since their boat overturned Saturday in rough seas. A fourth man, Nick Schuyler, also a former USF player, was rescued Monday.