Ace Kimberly family search recovers second body off Florida coast

MIAMI -- U.S. Coast Guard crews recovered a second body while searching for Ace Kimberly and his missing family Thursday morning in the Gulf of Mexico, one day after searchers found another body.

The second body was found by Cape Coral Fire and Rescue shortly after 11 a.m. about four miles southeast of where the first body was recovered Wednesday, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

Authorities haven't identified either body.

About an hour after the second body's recovery, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection airplane spotted a sailboat mast just over 100 miles offshore from Fort Myers, the Coast Guard said. A cutter was sent to investigate it.

U.S. Coast Guard crews had spotted what appeared to be a white flare early Thursday morning.

"Again we continue to hold out hope," Capt. Gregory Case said in a news conference. "It's an active search and rescue mission."

But officials said the outlook appeared "dire."

Case said rescue crews off of Florida's Gulf coast found a bucket with more items that belonged to Kimberly, 45, and children, Roger, 13, Donny, 15 and Rebecca, 17.

Case said the bucket contained birth certificates, a GPS, wallet, cellphone and cigarettes. They also found tool box and a pool noodle. The bucket was found about 5 1/2 miles away from where the first body was found Wednesday afternoon.

The father and children had been living on the boat in Sarasota Bay. They went missing Sunday while traveling to Fort Myers, about 77 miles south of Sarasota, to fix their boat, Case said.

Kimberly contacted his brother that afternoon, saying they were caught up in "6-foot waves and thunderstorms," Case said. The brother reported them missing Tuesday and the Coast Guard immediately launched search crews by air and sea.

On Wednesday, two kayaks were found but only one was identified as belonging to the missing family, the Coast Guard said. During a search on Thursday morning, another kayak was found that belonged to the Kimberly family.

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• Florida