Body identified as missing boater Gary Lisk

The body was that of Gary Lisk, 61, owner of the 24-foot Hydrasport boat, "What's Left," that was found capsized off Cape Canaveral on Monday, Naples police Detective Ed Principe said.

Lisk had departed on a fishing trip Oct. 17 with friends Neil Eddleman, 47, and Neil Alan Eddleman, 13. They were expected to return the following day.

Authorities did not release Lisk's time of death or manner in which he died; nor would they disclose what photographs showed from a waterproof camera found with the boat debris. They have said they cannot release too many details because the investigation is continuing.

However, Principe said, foul play was not suspected. There are no clues on the whereabouts of the Eddleman father-and-son duo, he said.

"The cause of death is going to take a while," Principe said. "It appears the body was badly decomposed."

Two of Lisk's daughters, Ginger Cullison and Nicole Babcook, declined comment, but issued a statement saying the Lisk family "has been through a living hell over the past 19 days."

The statement said the Lisk family "is extremely grateful for the tireless efforts" of a private search group, called Rescue Three, which for nearly three weeks has been looking for the missing boaters. However, in the statement, the family lashed out at members of the group, not naming any by name.

The Lisk family "is dismayed that some of the organizers of Rescue Three, despite their purported friendship with Gary Lisk, are attempting to blame him for this tragedy," the statement read.

Members of the search group denied ever placing blame upon Lisk.

"Somebody is distributing misinformation," said Nanette Meaux Hinnant, a search organizer and friend of Lisk. "If they would pick up the phone and communicate with us directly, they would know it didn't come out of here."

Cindi Pittman, Lisk's niece who lives in Montgomery, Ala., said she had felt cut off from events in Naples, but was appreciative of the search group.

"We have some closure now and at least we know what happened to our uncle," she said, referring to the body's being identified. "We're praying for the Eddlemans and hopefully they'll be found."

The search group was saddened by the news Thursday.

His death "will be felt by a lot of people in the community," said Jerry Eddleman, twin of the elder Eddleman. "He helped a tremendous number of people."

Lisk was a psychotherapist in private practice, A Kind Ear Inc. He counseled clients to overcome substance and tobacco addictions, and with mental health issues.

The search group was angered Thursday that information about the time and cause of Lisk's death was not provided, saying such details would aid them in the continuing search for the remaining two boaters.

"The hard reality is we have to shift our focus to the people still out there," Eddleman said. "We are even more determined to try not to have more casualties."

The search group pressed the FBI, one of several agencies investigating the case, and the Brevard County Medical Examiner's Office for more details without success.

Ellen Eddleman, wife of Neil Eddleman, contacted the Brevard medical examiner's office and said she was told by an investigator determining the cause and manner of Lisk's death are pending. She was told if toxicology tests are done, results take six to eight weeks.

She also spoke to an FBI official, who told her Lisk's death appeared to be accidental. But, she added, the FBI official said the agency is waiting for a final report from the medical examiner.

Jerry Eddleman also sought information from the FBI about photographs from a waterproof camera found near the capsized boat and what they may show.

"(The FBI official) said pictures were exposed and he had seen them and would not comment," Eddleman said.

"Some of those details could help us know if we are chasing something or chasing nothing," said Jeffrey Simon, 29, one of the searchers. "It is definitely costing us time, money and emotion."

FBI Tampa office spokeswoman Pam Salerno declined to comment on the case, citing it is a continuing investigation.

Determined to find answers on their own, one search group member tried to reach Henry Lee, a forensics expert in Connecticut, to ask him if it would be worthwhile for the group to pursue its own autopsy tests to determine the time of Lisk's death, said Meaux Hinnant, a search organizer. The Lisk family would have to consent, she said.

The purpose of the tests would be to learn of the time of death sooner, since that information is not available from authorities and could be helpful in the search for the others, she said.

Another effort is to get satellite clips of the coast around Cape Canaveral in the days before Lisk's boat washed ashore, Meaux Hinnant said.

Meanwhile, a half-dozen students from Lely High School stopped by the search group's command center Thursday, expressing frustration that the Coast Guard is no longer searching for the remaining two boaters. The Coast Guard said Wednesday it would not reactivate its search, suspended Oct. 24 after six days and costing $1.6 million. The Coast Guard scoured 130,000 square miles.

"I don't think they should stop the search," said Linette Lebron, 16, a senior at Lely. "They are acting like (the missing) are already dead and they don't know that."

The students are considering some type of protest, she said.

Today, the private air search involves a twin-engine airplane flying around Great Bahama Bank, Jerry Eddleman said. The bank is west of Andros Island, the largest of the Bahama islands.

His hope is that his brother and nephew may have tried to swim ashore.

"We know they loaded sleeping bags on the boat," Eddleman said, adding that a photograph taken by authorities of the boat debris on shore shows no sleeping bags.