BABCOCK RANCH — A Naples woman's search for her father after Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica ended with relief thanks to a stranger's Facebook post and the power of social media connections.
Married couple Kanema Clark and Drew Montez-Clark were unable to reach Kanema's father, Michael Morrison, who lives in Jamaica, after Hurricane Melissa struck the island.
Watch Fox 4's Allie Kaiser hear how a Facebook post helped locate a missing father:
Kanema, who is Mrs. Jamaica 2025, spent days anxiously waiting for any word about her father's safety.
"Not knowing was the hardest thing to deal with," she said. "That was very rattling for us - not to be able to have confirmation that he was okay."
Meanwhile, Howard Appleby, who lives in Babcock Ranch and grew up in Jamaica, was keeping an eye on the storm coverage.
"On the news every day, it looked very saddening. I reflect back on myself as a kid going through that," Appleby said.
Appleby took action by making a Facebook post offering to help people impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Southwest Florida Rotary Club connected him to the Clarks, who are both involved in SWFL Rotary, and explained their situation.
That is when Appleby reached out to his friend Romeich Major, who lives on the island.
"Imagine not speaking to your father for days. That was very sentimental to me," Major said.
After hours of searching, Major found Morrison safe. He then used a satellite phone to connect Kanema with her father for the first time in a week.
"Very emotional. My dad was so relieved," Clark said.
The successful reunion has sparked a larger mission. SWFL Rotary has launched the Shelter and Hope Relief Initiative, which aims to support others in Jamaica affected by the hurricane.
"Without Rotary - no, I do not think this would have happened as quickly as it did, and I do not think the efforts that we have after this would be as beneficial and impactful," said Drew Montez-Clark, Kanema's husband and chair of the SWFL Rotary's Disaster Relief committee.
The story shows how social media and community connections can create powerful networks of support during disasters.
"This bond that Rotary creates both here and internationally - that led to what we were able to accomplish," Drew said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
