On February 17, 2024, Angel Hernandez Munoz, 38, left the Marina Park Boat Ramp in Venice, Florida, aboard a white 1995 23-foot Sportcraft motorboat (registration FL9937HC) for a Gulf of Mexico fishing trip with three companions: Ruben Mora Sr., 54; Julio Cesar Cordero Briones, 37; and Alfonso Vargas-Parra, 35. The men were described as experienced fishermen and were expected back later that day but never returned.

When their vehicle and boat trailer were found at the ramp the next morning, agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Sarasota Police, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission mounted a multiagency search from Stump Pass to Longboat Pass and out as far as 80 miles offshore. Fog was reported when they left and conditions worsened into Sunday with waves up to four to six feet. No sign of the men or the vessel was found, and active search efforts were suspended on the evening of February 19.

Three of the men, including Munoz, worked for Safety Harbor Builders on Gasparilla Island. Families continued private search efforts after the official search ended and the Venice Police Department released video of the men departing. The case remains unresolved; the four men and their boat are believed lost at sea. If anyone saw the boat or the men on February 17, 2024, please come forward with information.