Body of man missing since Hurricane Ian is found on sunken sailboat in Fort Myers

The body of a man missing since Hurricane Ian has been found on a sunken sailboat in Fort Myers - three days after a missing woman's remains were also found. 

The Lee County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that the remains were identified as James 'Denny' Hurst, 72, who was last known to be aboard the Good Girl as the category 4 storm hit the region in late September leaving at least 145 people dead.

The boat was recovered Friday afternoon in the Matanzas Pass area of Fort Myers Beach, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said.

Hurst had told his family he planned to ride out the storm on the boat, officials said.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that the remains were identified as James 'Denny' Hurst, 72, (pictured) who was last known to be aboard the Good Girl as the category 4 storm hit the region in late September leaving at least 145 people dead

Hurst (pictured in a social media post) had told his family he planned to ride out the storm on the boat, officials said

The Good Girl is seen covered in seaweed after being hauled from below the surface at Fort Myers

The boat was recovered Friday afternoon in the Matanzas Pass area of Fort Myers Beach, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said

Hurst's daughter Shannon Vaughan watched live on a video call on NBC 2 as her father's boat was hauled from the water.

'Is that part of it coming up right there?' She asked during the broadcast.

'Oh Jesus. I can kind of see it. It's just, oh my God. It's just covered in slime and stuff,' she added.

Later Vaughan said: 'It's finally done. You know? It's just finally done. We're glad that you're finally found and you're home. I love you. I miss you. We all do.'

Earlier Friday, the sheriff announced that a crew clearing debris in the mangroves found the remains of 82-year-old Ilonka Knes. She had been reported missing in early October.

Officials identified Knes through dental records, the sheriff said. The body of her husband, 81-year-old Robert Knes, was found shortly after the storm struck. 

A team of divers is seen around the wrecked sailboat 

Hurst and Knes were the two remaining people who had been reported as missing in Lee County after the hurricane, Marceno said. He added that he hopes their families will now have some closure.

Crew members from Sea Hag Marina in Fort Myers who have been helping with the clean up operation after the hurricane helped to find Hurst, saying the sailboat was noticed in 18ft of water 'with just enough visibility to see a piece of the boat.'

'Our guys were able to assist the dive team in lifting the boat out of the water and onto land,' the marina said on Facebook. 'Had the water not of been clear today, we are not sure how much longer it would have been for the boat to be seen.

Ilonka Knes, 82, lived on Fort Myers with her husband Robert, 81, who was found dead shortly after the storm struck

Her body was found 'deep within the mangroves' by a waste removal company. The photo above shows the continued devastation of Fort Myers since Ian

Ilonka was found 0.1 miles away from where she lived. Her husband was found in the same proximity back in October

'The definition of divine timing is the belief that everything in your life happens at exactly the right moment and we truly believe that today was one of those days for everyone involved.'

Before the discovery, the Florida Medical Examiners Commission on Tuesday reported 145 confirmed deaths in the state from Hurricane Ian. This would add to that total.

There were also five people killed in North Carolina, one in Virginia and three in Cuba, authorities have said.