Mystery of Florida's beached cross may have ties to North Carolina

Source: CNN

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The mystery of a barnacle-covered wooden cross that washed ashore along a South Florida beach may have been solved.

The Miami Herald reports that a woman believes the cross was erected on an island off North Carolina in 2016 in memory of her brother who disappeared while on a solo hunting trip in Hatteras Inlet.

[READ MORE: Large cross washes onto Florida beach]

After Stowe's brother disappeared, a bunch of friends put the cross on the inlet. She says it likely was swept away during Hurricane Michael last October.

Robin Stowe contacted the newspaper Wednesday after reports surfaced about the 20-foot cross, which has been captivating tourists who dragged it from the water's edge at Fort Lauderdale's beach last weekend.

Her brother, Capt. Richard Baran, ran a guide service at Hatteras Harbor Marina.