Body of Florida Army Vet Who Vanished During Kayaking Trip Found
Eiffel Gilyana was a husband and father of three who previously worked as an interpreter with the United States Army Special Forces
The body of a Florida Army veteran who went missing while kayaking with friends over the weekend was discovered two days after the search to find him was suspended.
“My heart aches to share that after four days of relentless searching, the waterways have yielded Eiffel's remains this afternoon,” Jen Grubbs, the organizer for his GoFundMe account, said on Tuesday.
Eiffel Gilyana, 46, a husband and father to three children, had gone missing on Saturday near the ocean side of the North Jetties in St. Augustine, a press release shared by the United States Coast Guard said.
GIlyana was kayaking with Task Force Hydro-1, a mental health support group for veterans. His group alerted the Jacksonville Coast Guard of his disappearance at approximately 10:39 a.m. on Saturday. Gilyana was not wearing a life vest when he went missing.
According to the GoFundMe account, after “escaping unimaginable hardship in Iraq, Eiffel rebuilt a life in Jacksonville” with his spouse Lana. He was working as a fitness and wellness Director at the Jewish Community Alliance.
The organization said the group Gilyana was kayaking with “lost sight of him” and his “canoe was found damaged,” per Jacksonville’s First Coast News.
On Sunday, the United States Coast Guard said they had “suspended the search for a missing kayaker near St. Augustine Inlet, Florida.”
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The decision to suspend the search came after rescue crews searched for 90 asset hours and covered approximately 341 square miles, the Coast Guard said. During this time, there was a rip current advisory in effect.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic event," said Cmdr. Nick Barrow, search and rescue coordinator, Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville. "This was an intensive search with the hope of finding Mr. Gilyana. I want to thank our partners from the city of St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida Fish and Wildlife and Customs and Border Protection for their contributions to this unified effort.”
Although the search was suspended on Sunday, volunteers continued looking for him on Monday.
"His family and I were supposed to have dinner last night," Leonardo Yui told First Coast News during the Christmas day search.
"We're hoping for the best and expecting the [worst], really," he said. "There are many emotions right now. I just gotta stay focused. Just keep my eye on the mission today and the mission that was yesterday. So, we just gotta keep going and do the best we can."
On Gilyana’s GoFundMe account, the Army vet was remembered for “his laughter, his warmth, [and] his vibrant spirit.”
“His infectious laughter and unwavering spirit touched everyone he met, from his esteemed work as an Iraqi Christian interpreter with the US Army Special Forces to his dedication to Task Force Hydro1 and the Jewish Community Alliance,” the post continued.
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