The body of an 82-year-old Florida woman who went missing in September during Hurricane Ian was recovered Tuesday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.
A contracted debris removal company cleaning an area near Fort Myers Beach found the remains of Ilonka Knes «deep in the mangroves,» Sheriff Carmine Marceno said at a meeting. Press conference Thursday.
«These areas are impassable by ship and not visible from the air,» he said.
Knes lived in Fort Myers Beach with her husband, who had previously been found dead. The sheriff said the area was «completely destroyed» when the Category 4 storm hit Florida.
«This was a very affected area,» he said.
Family members requested a wellness check from Knes on Oct. 7, about a week after the hurricane, but agents were unable to find her. She was declared missing on October 15 after several failed attempts to locate her, Marceno said.
Her body was eventually recovered .16 miles from her home, according to the sheriff. Authorities identified her through dental records. Her cause of death was determined to be accidental drowning.
Marcelo said he hopes the recovery brings a sense of relief to the family.
Knes’ death brings the total number of confirmed victims in the county to 74, the sheriff said. One man, James «Denny» Hurst, is still missing. Statewide, NBC News identified more than 140 hurricane-related deaths.
