Missing kayaker Eiffel Gilyana.Photo:facebook
The body of a Florida Army veteran whowent missingwhile 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 hisGoFundMeaccount, said on Tuesday.
GIlyana was kayaking with Task Force Hydro-1, a mental health support group forveterans. 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.
Missing kayaker Eiffel Gilyana.facebook
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’sFirst Coast News.
On Sunday, the United States Coast Guard said they had “suspended the search for a missing kayaker near St. Augustine Inlet, Florida.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
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.
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 Newsduring 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.
source: people.com
