On September 19, 2004, Ivy Edmonds Hutchinson, 81, and her sister, Olief Nash, 79, embarked on a camping trip to Butler Island, a remote wooded island three miles off the coast of Horseshoe Beach in Dixie County, Florida. The sisters set out in a motorless aluminum rowboat, carrying camping gear. Nash, an experienced outdoorswoman, owned a shack on the island and was known for her self-sufficiency, often bringing a chainsaw and a shotgun on her trips and being capable of foraging for her own
food. Hutchinson was also described as capable, though less familiar with the island than her sister.
The sisters were expected to return to the mainland on September 20. When they failed to do so, they were reported overdue at 6:30 a.m. on September 21, prompting a search. At the time of their departure, Hurricane Ivan, a powerful storm, was churning in the Gulf of Mexico. A fisherman had reportedly warned the sisters about the weather conditions and advised them against the trip, but they chose to proceed.
Despite search efforts, no trace of Hutchinson, Nash, their boat, or their camping equipment was ever found. The route to Butler Island involves shallow waters, and had their boat capsized, it is believed they could have waded and swum to shore. However, investigators theorize that the strong winds from the approaching hurricane may have pushed their small boat eastward into deeper waters.
Hurricane Ivan had formed in early September and reached hurricane strength on September 5. By the time the sisters went missing, it was a significant presence in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm eventually made landfall on September 16 near Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 3 hurricane, causing widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast. Given the lack of any evidence and the severe weather conditions, Ivy Edmonds Hutchinson and Olief Nash are presumed to have perished at sea. The Dixie County Sheriff's Office was the investigating agency for their disappearance.Last Seen: Sep 19, 2004
