Florida Man Missing After Kayak Found Broken in Two: Coast Guard

The search is underway for a Florida man who went lacking throughout a latest kayaking journey together with his mates, the Coast Guard confirmed.

The person, recognized by family and friends as Eiffel Gilyana, 46, had been kayaking within the St. Augustine Inlet in northern Florida on Saturday morning, simply off Vilano Seashore. At roughly 10 a.m. native time, the 2 mates who had been accompanying him stated he vanished from their sight, in accordance with a Fb put up from the Jax Hearth Dragons boating workforce. A while later, they discovered Gilyana’s kayak damaged in half. His mates additionally famous that he had not been sporting a life jacket previous to his disappearance.

“Eiffel Gilyana (40s) is lacking off of Vilano Seashore,” the put up learn. “He went paddling with 2 different people however they overpassed him. They discovered his ama, iakus and boat (damaged in half) however no indicators of Eiffel. We’d like extra boats on the water to assist within the search. He is been lacking since 10am. He went in by the pavillion in vilano seashore, Atlantic Ocean facet.”

Coast Guard crews utilizing Cutter Tarpon boats have been deployed to look the world into the evening, the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast confirmed in its personal Fb put up, with additional crews and accomplice businesses becoming a member of the search on Sunday morning.

Newsweek reached out to the Coast Guard by way of electronic mail for remark.

Gilyana went lacking off the coast of St. Augustine, a outstanding Florida port metropolis famous because the oldest repeatedly inhabited non-indigenous settlement in america, having been established by Spanish explorers in 1565. Town is located roughly 40 miles southeast of Jacksonville, one of many largest metro areas within the state.

A outstanding member of the area’s health group, Gilyana works because the Health & Wellness Director for the Jewish Group Alliance (JCA), having began with the group in 2009. He has additionally taken half in quite a few different fitness-related and athletic pursuits, together with his JCA profile web page noting that he as soon as performed soccer competitively and has been nationally ranked in bodybuilding.

“A passionate chief and function mannequin to our JCA group, Eiffel says he’s at all times positive to by no means take something as a right and to remain optimistic even in troublesome instances,” the profile reads. “Eiffel says our JCA group is his household and his house away from house – he’s keen about sharing his information of health and wellness with our valued members and workers.”

Previous to his time with the JCA, Gilyana’s household instructed Motion Information Jax that he had labored with the U.S. army in Iraq from 2003 to 2009. He additionally presently works as a well being and wellness advisor for Process Drive Hydro 1, a non-profit that serves veterans and first responders.