Lacking Hurricane Ian sufferer discovered lifeless on sunken sailboat months after storm

The physique of a Florida man who went lacking throughout Hurricane Ian in September has been discovered on a sunken sailboat months after the storm.

James “Denny” Hurst was the final identified particular person nonetheless lacking in Lee County after the Class 4 hurricane slammed into Florida final yr, leaving dozens lifeless and inflicting widespread devastation.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace introduced Sunday that Hurst’s physique had been discovered on a sunken sailboat, “Good Lady,” that had been situated by divers in Matanzas Move in Fort Myers Seashore.

“Lacking particular person James ‘Denny’ Hurst was final identified to have been on board throughout Hurricane Ian,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno stated in a tweet Friday, including that divers have been actively working to recuperate the vessel. “We’re talking together with his household throughout these tough instances.”

The sheriff’s workplace had been known as to Salty Sam’s Marina on Thursday after a employee noticed wreckage from a ship that they had by no means seen earlier than, NBC Information affiliate WBBH, which is predicated in Fort Myers, Florida, reported.

Throughout efforts to recuperate the vessel, human stays have been discovered on the boat, Marceno announced.

The sheriff confirmed on Sunday that the stays belonged to Hurst.

“Mr. Hurst’s household has been notified,” the sheriff’s workplace stated in a press release. “Our ideas and prayers are together with his household.”

Hurst’s daughter, Shannon Vaughan, informed WBBH her father had lived on the boat. She stated she was glad to have closure.

“It’s lastly accomplished. ? It’s simply lastly accomplished,” Vaughan informed WBBH. “We’re glad that you just’re lastly discovered and also you’re house. I really like you. I miss you. All of us do.”

Hurst was identified to have mobility issues and used a walker to maneuver round, WBBH reported. He had final been seen on his boat when it was docked on the Island Bay Marina on Sept. 28, the day Hurricane Ian made landfall, in response to the outlet.

Friday’s discovery got here simply days after the physique of an 82-year-old Florida girl who additionally went lacking throughout Hurricane Ian was recovered on Tuesday.

A contract particles elimination firm cleansing an space close to Fort Myers Seashore discovered the stays of Ilonka Knes “deep throughout the mangroves,” Marceno stated at a information convention on Thursday.

“These areas are impassable by boat they usually’re not seen by the air,” he stated.

Knes had lived in Fort Myers Seashore together with her husband, who had beforehand been discovered lifeless, with the realm being “utterly destroyed” when the Class 4 storm hit Florida.

Kinfolk had requested a welfare test on Knes on Oct. 7 a couple of week after the hurricane, however deputies have been unable to seek out her. She was declared lacking on Oct. 15 after a number of efforts to find her.

Her physique was discovered months later .16 miles away from her house, Marceno stated. The reason for dying was decided to be unintentional drowning.

On the time, he stated Knes’ dying had introduced the whole variety of confirmed casualties within the county to 74, with Hurst being the ultimate sufferer nonetheless lacking.