The father of a teen missing at sea is speaking about his heartbreak.
Blu Stephanos spoke with NewsChannel 5’s Alyssa Hyman about his son Austin.
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Last summer, Austin was lost at sea along with his friend Perry Cohen.
He says it has been a difficult year for his family and the grieving process will never truly be over.
"I don't have any closure at this point. I don't know if I ever will. I always will have the hope that they will come walking in that door. You love someone so much you'll never give up,” he said.
Recently Austin's iPhone and the boat were recovered--but hopes of finding out new answers in their disappearance hit a wall when Apple said it could not get the phone to work.
In the interview, Blu looked back on the day his son Austin and friend Perry disappeared at sea nearly one ago.
“I truly never wanted to be my sons hero so bad in my life. To think that my son needed me and I wasn’t able to reach him or be there, is difficult enough,” said Blu.
The boys are still missing, and the pain continues for these families. The heartache made worse by legal battles playing out in the public eye, especially surrounding Austin's recently recovered iPhone.
“I'd like people to be a little more sensitive and realize this is a family that is hurting. There is an 11-year old boy that's involved in this. You don’t realize how this affects him. He lost his brother." said Blu through the tears.
The Cohen's family attorney tells us they still believe there are other options to pursue with the phone. The family is also turning it's attention toward Austin's boat. The attorney telling NewsChannel5 that they wants a full investigation of the vessel when it returns.
"We are not going to stop until all avenues are explored, every stone is turned over. This is certainly not the end," said Guy Rubin, the Cohen's attorney.
Blu's attorneys say they are discussing if there are second options for the phone along with the other families involved.