Could Missing Teens Survive by Clinging to a Cooler After Boat Capsized?

The families of 2 teens are hoping their teens are clinging to a cooler and life jackets to survive after the items were found missing.

Could two teen boys who are missing at sea be clinging to life by hanging onto a cooler?

That's what the families of Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen are desperately hoping after the boys' boat was found capsized off the Florida coast this weekend.

"We believe the boys made floating devices with the items missing from the boat ... Engine cover, white Yeti cooler and life jackets," the families said in a flyer. 

Read: Man Wrestles a Shark to Shore with Bare Hands

It's happened before in 2014. Coast Guard video showed a man clinging to a cooler after his boat capsized.

INSIDE EDITION’s Steven Fabian got a hold of the Yeti-brand cooler just like the ones the teens had on their boat and put it to the test.

Fabian went in the water with the cooler and said: "This thing floats pretty good, it even has handles on each side. You have to keep in mind, there would be two people on something like this, that makes things a bit more difficult, but as long as this cooler stays air tight, this thing is not going under water." 

New video taken by another boater has been released and shows the squall which is believed to have caught the boys unaware.

Some are criticizing the parents of the boys for allowing the boys to even get in a boat unsupervised, but the parents say boating is part of the culture from a young age in Florida.

Read: How a Man Survived on a Sailboat for 12 Days with No Food or Water

Perry's mother told the Today show: "We live in a boating community. These children are surrounded by water from the moment that they are born. Perry knew how to swim before he knew how to walk. They are on boats all the time. They are fishing all the time. They are on docks all the time." 

Before going on their ill-fated trip, Austin took a photo of their fishing gear and posted it on Snapchat.

One of Austin's last snaps before heading out on a fishing trip Friday. @CBS12 #FindAustinandPerry pic.twitter.com/63uPvJpaZP

— Lynda Figueredo (@LyndaFigueredo) July 28, 2015

Football legend Joe Namath, a friend of the families, was on the beach in Jupiter continuing to help with the search.

Namath said: "It is a lot of water out there, folks. It is enough to survive for weeks, for months, you know, we keep on looking until we get an answer." 

Sailing instructor Wendy Sarnoff says there are lessons we can learn from the story.

She told INSIDE EDITION: "No. 1 rule is to have a life jacket with a crotch strap on it. Have D-rings. Have a teather. Stay teathered to the boat both day and night time - especially if you are in a smaller craft." 

Hundreds of people staged a vigil on Monday night, releasing paper lanterns into the evening sky at the spot where the boys were last seen.

Watch Below: Joe Namath Search for Teens Missing at Sea: 'We Just Keep on Praying'