The body of a Florida military veteran who went missing while kayaking with friends over the weekend has been discovered two days after the search for him was called off.
“It hurts my heart to share with you that after four days of relentless searching, the waterways this afternoon discovered Eiffel’s remains,” Jen Grubbs, the organizer of his GoFundMe account, said Tuesday.
Eiffel Gilyana, 46, a husband and father of three, went missing on Saturday near the ocean side of the North Jetties in St. Augustine, according to a press release shared by the United States Coast Guard.
GIlyana kayaked with Task Force Hydro-1, a mental health support group for veterans. His group notified the Jacksonville Coast Guard of his disappearance around 10:39 a.m. Saturday. Gilyana was not wearing a life jacket when he disappeared.
Missing kayaker Eiffel Gilyana.
According to the GoFundMe account, after “escaping unimaginable hardships in Iraq, Eiffel rebuilt his life in Jacksonville” with his wife, Lana. He worked as a fitness and wellness director at the Jewish Community Federation.
The organization said the group Gilyana was kayaking with “lost sight of him” and his “canoe was found damaged,” according to Jacksonville’s First Coast News.
On Sunday, the United States Coast Guard said it 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 teams searched for 90 hours and covered approximately 341 square miles, the Coast Guard said. A rip current warning was in effect during that time.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the families and friends affected by this tragic event,” said Commander Nick Barrow, search and rescue coordinator, Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville. “This has been an intensive search with hopes 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 united effort.”
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Missing kayaker Eiffel Gilyana.
Although the search was called off on Sunday, volunteers continued to look for him on Monday.
“His family and I were supposed to have dinner last night,” Leonardo Yui told First Coast News during the Christmas search.
“We hope for the best and expect [worst], really,” he said. “There’s a lot of emotion right now. I just have to stay focused. I’m just keeping an eye on today’s mission and yesterday’s mission. So we just have to keep going and do the best we can.”
On Gilyana’s GoFundMe account, the military veteran was remembered for “his laughter, warmth, [and] his lively spirit.”
“His infectious laugh and unwavering spirit touched everyone he met, from his valued work as a translator for Iraqi Christians in the US Army Special Forces to his dedication to Task Force Hydro1 and the Jewish Community Alliance,” the post continued.
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