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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Ryan Fahey & Benjamin Lynch

Florida man missing after trying to jet ski 115 miles to Bahamas before Hurricane Ian

A man has vanished after trying to travel to the Bahamas by jet ski.

Charles Walker, 52, disappeared after he was last seen in the Florida city of Pompano Beach on September 23.

His last known location was around 15 nautical miles off the coast of West Palm Beach, according to the nearby coast guard.

Police and the coast guard have appealed to the public to come forward with any information about Walker's whereabouts if they have it.

Walker, said to be around five foot nine with grey hair and green eyes, was attempting to jet ski 115 miles to the coast of the Bahamas district of Bimini.

Charles Walker has been missing for one week (Broward Sheriff's Office)

Friend Whitney Nolan appealed to people on Facebook to keep an eye out for "Chuck".

She said: "We spent our wedding day with him and this last Christmas in Florida with him.

"He tried riding his jet ski to The Bahamas from Florida this past Friday and hasn’t been heard from or seen since. If I have any Florida [Facebook] friends on here and you think you may have seen him, please contact local authorities."

Jet ski crossings from Florida to The Bahamas are not unheard of (Getty Images)

Due to how close the Bahamas is to the US, people are known to make the trip between the two and one company even said the journey is an "incredible day trip" if a person prepares properly.

Shark Watersports advise people making the trip on jet ski to ensure they check the weather before they go, as well as check the craft for leaks and making sure it is fuelled properly.

Emergency services in Florida are already stretched due to the mammoth Category 4 Hurricane Ian that blew through the Sunshine State earlier this week.

Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida (BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images))

A family in the badly affected Fort Myers searched desperately for elderly resident Pete Lay. The 79-year-old was eventually found alive.

Bringing 150mph winds and extensive flooding, Ian left around 2 million people without power and even ripped off a section of the roof of an ICU hospital.

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said the death toll could be as high as 21, but they are still working to establish if all of the deaths were as a result of Ian. At least 12 people are confirmed to have been killed by the storm.

After it was downgraded to a tropical storm, Ian's winds intensified once again and now has sustained hurricane-force winds of 85mph.

It is expected to make landfall in South Carolina later today.

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