SunSentinel: Missing Teen Boaters’ Families Look to Two Other Tech Firms in Hopes of Accessing iPhone

Originally published by SunSentinal.
By Lynda Figueredo

The iPhone that belonged to Austin Stephanos, one of two missing teens who disappeared at sea in July 2015. (Courtesy)

Attorneys for the families of Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen were back in court on Thursday. They plan to send Stephanos’ recovered iPhone to a third party in hopes of extracting information from the phone.

Last year, Tequesta teens Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, took a boat out for a fishing trip and never returned.

In March, their boat was recovered off the coast of Bermuda along with Stephanos’ iPhone.
Right now, the iPhone remains in Apple’s possession after a judge issued an order to have the company make efforts to turn the phone back on. Those efforts were unsuccessful.

Now, the family’s attorneys are vetting two other tech companies, including a California company called DriveSavers, in hopes of extracting information.
The lawyers told the media they are hoping to reach an agreement.

Crew members of the Norwegian supply ship Edda Fjord, recover a 19-foot SeaCraft boat on March 18. Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14, were last seen on the boat leaving the Jupiter Inlet July 24, 2015. (Edda Accommodations Ltd / Sun Sentinel)