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Two Florida 14 year olds who went missing after taking a family boat on the water sparked a massive search but were never recovered. As Matt Galka tells us, one of the boy’s fathers is hoping a new bill proposal will prevent it from happening in the future.

Blu Stephanos says his son Austin loved the water.

“He learned how to swim at a very young age, and uh it’s the way of life for a lot of kids who are fortunate enough to be out there and enjoy it in Florida,” said Stephanos.

14 year olds Austin Stephanos and friend Perry Cohen took their boat from Jupiter Inlet in late July and never returned.  A massive search ensued, but only their capsized boat was found.

The terrible accident has now sparked legislation aimed at increasing boater safety.

“While we can’t undo what happened, Blu and other supporters have chosen to take this very tragic event and find something redemptive,” said Sen. Joe Negron (R-Stuart).

Any Florida boater who purchases an emergency location device would be eligible for up to 25% off their boater registration fees. The devices can cost anywhere from $250 to $2,000 dollars.

“Your cell phone won’t work out there…the only thing that’s going to work is one of these devices. And in that time it’s more of the rescue, not the searching, and for that, can you put a price on it,” said Stephanos.

The tragedy has also sparked separate legislation that would raise the minimum age for operating a boat. Stephanos isn’t backing the proposal that would raise the age limit to 16.

“My son was 14 years and old and could drive a boat better than the majority of people out there,” he said.

There are more than 850,000 registered boats in the state that could be eligible for a discount.

The bill calls for a $5,000,000 dollar appropriation from the budget and the bill sponsor’s say they intend to make it an annual reduction.