Veteran who vanished while kayaking is found dead, family friend reports

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An army veteran and fitness instructor was found dead after vanishing while kayaking in Florida over the holiday weekend.

Eiffel Gilyana was kayaking near Florida’s St Augustine Inlet when he disappeared on 23 December, the US Coast Guard Southeast said in a statement. Mr Gilyana was last seen by a group of kayakers who called the coast guard when they spotted him without a life jacket on Saturday morning, according to the statement.

Leonard Yui, a friend of Mr Gilyana, says his body was found on 26 December, according to local outlet First Coast News.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic event,” Nick Barrow, a search and rescue coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville, said in a statement.

Mr Yui is a member of Hydro Task Force1, an organization designed to support active military veterans which led the search for Mr Gilyana on Monday and Tuesday, First Coast News reports. He told the outlet they found Mr Gilyana’s body near Florida’s Vilano Beach.

“Our primary focus is now on supporting Eiffel’s family and our members. We will continue to collaborate with relevant authorities and will provide pertinent updates as they become available,” Mr Yui said in a statement via Hydro Task Force1.

Mr Gilyana was also a member of The Jewish Community Alliance, where he served as fitness and wellness director.

“Eiffel wasn’t just the fitness and wellness director at the JCA. He wasn’t just a personal trainer,” Adam Chaskin, CEO of the Jewish Community Alliance, told the New York Post on Tuesday.

“He became part of people’s families and people became part of his family,” Mr Chaskin continued. “He just has such a warm heart and so many people connected so easily, and so well with him over the years.”