Body of Florida windsurfer recovered days after going missing during Hurricane Idalia: reports

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Expert gives advice for Hurricane Idalia victims looking to safely clean up debris

CrowderGulf Vice President Reid Loper joins ‘Fox News Live’ to discuss how leaders in Florida have handled the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. 

The body of a Florida windsurfer who went missing in a river as Hurricane Idalia moved through the state last week has been recovered from the water, according to local reports.

Greggory Johnston, 60, went missing on Aug. 30 in the Banana River near the area of Kelly Park in Merritt Island, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said. 

A dog walker who had called 911 after witnessing Johnston go under the water near a bridge described the water as rough at the time.

“The waves were coming in off the river almost 3 feet tall,” Tony Fitch told FOX35 Orlando. 

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Greggory Johnson, 60, went missing on Aug. 30 while windsurfing in the Banana River as Hurricane Idalia moved through Florida. (Brevard County Sheriff’s Office sa)

Personnel from the sheriff’s office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coast Guard began searching for Johnston around 7 p.m. on Aug. 30. The following morning, searchers recovered the board and windsurfing sail near the eastern shore of the river, across from Kelly Park, the sheriff’s office said.

Johnston’s body was later recovered on Aug. 31 but was not identified until Wednesday, the station reported, citing the sheriff’s office.

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A medical examiner’s report said that Johnston drowned while windsurfing in the river during a tropical storm warning, WKMG-TV reported, citing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

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FDLE confirmed Wednesday in a news release that two deaths have been attributed to Hurricane Idalia in Alachua and Brevard Counties.

No additional details were immediately released.

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Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida the morning of Aug. 30 as a Category 3 storm before being downgraded to a Category 1 and then tropical storm later in the day.