Florida man missing after he tried to ride his jet ski to the Bahamas

A man from Florida has disappeared after attempting to make the 115-mile journey from the Sunshine State to the Bahamas on a jet ski.

Charles Walker, 52, was last seen on Pompano Beach a week ago (23 September), where he was planning to begin the journey from Florida, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.

According to the coast guard, contact was lost with jet skier when he was just 15 nautical miles off the coast of West Palm Beach.

His family has provided a description of him in case any one comes forward with information about his potential whereabouts.

Charles has grey hair and green eyes and is said to be 5 feet and 9 inches tall and weighs around 190 pounds.

He disappeared shortly before Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc on Florida with wind speeds of up to 155 mph.

The National Weather Service warned people in south-west Florida of a 'catastrophic' storm surge and flooding.

The service wrote on Twitter: "A special 7am update has been issued as Hurricane Ian has strengthened to 155 mph, a strong category 4, with catastrophic storm surge flooding likely in some areas of SW FL."

Those reported missing in the wake of the storm include Cuban migrants, whose vessel sank near Stock Island amid the freak weather conditions caused by Hurricane Ian.

Nine migrants had been safely rescued yesterday (29 September) but a number remained missing.

Officials have now warned against making the dangerous journey, even in normal weather conditions.

They said: "Do not risk your life by attempting this journey at sea. Storm surge along with King tide can create treacherous sea conditions even after a storm passes."

Hurricane Ian is now on its way to South Carolina, where it is expected to make landfall later today (30 September).

Thankfully, the end will then be in sight and the storm is expected to weaken and finally disappear over the weekend.

However, after leaving such an extensive trail of destruction in its wake, it will take weeks if not months in some areas for the damage to be restored.

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