Topic: Corey Smith

Corey Dominique Smith (born October 2, 1979, in Richmond, Virginia; missing March 1, 2009, presumed dead March 6, 2009) was an American football defensive end who was a free agent. He was originally signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He played college football at North Carolina State.

Smith has also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.

On March 1, 2009, the United States Coast Guard reported that a 21-foot fishing boat was missing off the Gulf Coast near Clearwater Pass, Florida. The boat was reportedly carrying four passengers, including Smith, Oakland Raider Marquis Cooper, as well as Nick Schuyler and Will Bleakley, who are former University of South Florida football players. The four men left Clearwater Pass on February 28 at 6:30 a.m. and were expected to return later that night. The Coast Guard began searching for the missing boat shortly after midnight, on March 1, 2009. By 1:35 p.m. EST on March 2, 2009, the boat was located, overturned, with Schuyler clinging to it. The other three passengers were not found. Cooper was separated at 5:30 AM, with Smith disappearing about an hour later. 24 hours later, Bleakley became non responsive, and despite Schuyler giving him CPR, he also dissappeared. Schuyler was found less than six hours later. The search for the three men still missing ended at sundown on March 3, 2009. Friends and relatives organized a private search but that, too, was called off a few days later.