Apple iPhone used by teens missing at sea is being sent to Apple for analysis

Last July 24th, a pair of 14-year old boys set off for a fishing trip off of the Juniper Inlet. The boys, Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos, went missing and are presumed dead. The cause of their death is now a mystery, especially after the boy's capsized boat was recovered on March 18th, 100 miles off Bermuda's coast. On board the vessel was Austin's Apple iPhone 6, and the handset could play a big part in determining what really happened at sea.

The boys were both connected inside the boat. Besides Austin's iPhone, Perry had an Apple iPad with him. He texted his mom to tell her that his tablet had gone dead, indicating that he also had a phone with him. And the boys sent a Snapchat message to friends that said, "we’re f****d" as a storm was headed for their position.

Both of the boys' families were in disagreement over what to do with the iPhone that was recovered with the boat last month. So they decided to go to court. Today, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Gregory Keyser ruled that the phone will be sent to Apple via FedEx to see if any information can be retrieved from the device, including photographs or text messages.

The phone is said to be rusting and is in poor condition, which is what you would expect after being exposed to the elements and submerged in water for almost a year. Will Apple be able to salvage anything from the phone? The tech titan has its work cut out for it. As soon as we hear something from Apple, we will pass it along to you. Keep in mind that it could take weeks, if not months, before Apple makes an announcement about what it was able to find inside the device.


Thanks for the tip, Suzanne!

source: Sun-Sentinel, People