Family portrait lost in Hurricane Ian found by Naples woman at Delnor-Wiggins

A morning walk at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples turned into a mystery and an unexpected reunion. A woman out for her daily stroll stumbled upon a family portrait floating in the surf. This picture has now found its way back to the family who lost it during Hurricane Ian.

Carolyn Stone was walking along the beach when she saw something glimmering in the water. At first glance, she thought it might be a seashell or debris.

"I was walking, and I saw something came floating right up beside me. I looked down, and I was like, what is that?" said Stone.

Stone picked up the picture, brushed off the sand, and realized it was a family portrait.

"And to see a family, you know, of 10 in a portrait in the water, and so I picked it up, and I just thought, oh, gosh, where did this come from?" said Stone.

Cynthia Zane, who lives in Naples, encountered Stone by chance.

"I ran into her, I didn't know her before, and she said, look what I found. And we looked at it, and it was amazing," said Zane.

Stone posted the picture on Facebook, hoping social media might help track down the faces in the photograph.

"The power of social media. I knew. I hoped, if I got it out there, someone would know someone," said Stone.

Her post did not go unanswered. Stone's inbox lit up with messages, and she received the one she had been hoping for.

"Yes, the family reached out yesterday, and they are not in Naples right now, but they will be arriving just before the holiday," said Stone.

Zane expressed her excitement about the reunion.

"I just thought, how awesome if they can be located, and now knowing that they have been and she's going to be able to hand it off to them, it's perfect," said Zane.

The family shared with Stone that their portrait vanished in the chaos of Hurricane Ian over three years ago. They had no idea where it had been until now.

A lost memory found by chance is finally on its way back to the people who cherish it.

The family plans to meet Stone as soon as they return to Naples. Stone is keeping the portrait safe until then.