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29th September 2022
11:23am BST
Wind gusts blow across Sarasota Bay, Florida as Hurricane Ian churns to the south on Wednesday (Image: Getty)[/caption]
Coastal areas of Florida have already been hit by severe flooding, high winds and storm surges - leaving two million people in the state without electricity.
Florida residents were advised to leave their homes in anticipation of the storm. But some stayed, with three deciding the catastrophic hurricane had created the perfect conditions for a quick dip.
https://twitter.com/ZachCoveyTV/status/1575132828626477056
The CCTV footage circulating Twitter came from the Pierside Grill's beach cam in Fort Myers, a city in South West Florida close to where the hurricane made landfall. The men can be seen getting battered by the high winds and waves, which dragged one swimmer metres down the shore in just a few seconds.
Condeming the "extremely dangerous" actions of the swimmers, Zach Covery, a hurricane specialist for Spectrum News, said: "I can’t believe I have to say this…. DO NOT GET INTO THE WATER!"
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Hurricane Ian approaches Florida on Wednesday (Image: NOAA via Getty Images)[/caption]
Before hitting Florida, the hurricane had already killed two people after bombarding Cuba on Tuesday.
Those who chose to remain in their Florida homes while the hurricane ravages the state have been warned to stay indoors in windowless rooms, and use a flashlight - not candles - if the power goes out.
US Border Patrol is currently looking for up to 23 migrants who have gone missing after their ship sank during the storm.
