Found Deceased FL - Eiffel Gilyana, 46, St. Augustine, 23 Dec 2023

[TwinkieDefense]

Dec 24, 2023 article

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nation-world/national/article283489283.html

[…]

The search is underway for a Florida man who went missing during a recent kayaking trip with his friends, the Coast Guard confirmed. The man, identified by friends and family as Eiffel Gilyana, 46, had been kayaking in the St. Augustine Inlet in northern Florida on Saturday morning, just off Vilano Beach. At approximately 10 a.m. local time, the two friends who had been accompanying him said he vanished from their sight, according to a Facebook post from the Jax Fire Dragons boating team. Some time later, they found Gilyana's kayak broken in half. His friends also noted that he had not been wearing a life jacket prior to his disappearance. […]

[…]

 

[ifindedout]

Also from the article, some terminology I had never heard before (BBM):
"Eiffel Gilyana (40s) is missing off of Vilano Beach," the post read. "He went paddling with 2 other individuals but they lost sight of him. They found his ama, iakus and boat (broken in half) but no signs of Eiffel. We need more boats on the water to aid in the search. He's been missing since 10am. He went in by the pavillion in vilano beach, Atlantic Ocean side."

Ama and 'iako (I assume the latter is what's meant by "iakus")

Polynesian multihull terminology - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Parts of the Hawaiian Canoe

ETA: would probably help to post the definitions right here. From the second link:
ama: float on an outrigger canoe; port hull of a double canoe.
'iako: arched crossbeams which fasten the floater (ama) to the hull in an outrigger canoe
Both are seen in the closing sequence of Hawaii Five-O (the one with the men paddling, in all seasons after the first).

 

[ifindedout]

Coast Guard suspends search

Family identifies missing kayaker, Eiffel Gilyana

The United States Coast Guard has their Southeast crews out searching for a 46-year-old man last seen on a kayak in the area of the St. Augustine Inlet near the North Jetties ocean side, Saturday.

www.actionnewsjax.com

Search pattern:

https://www.facebook.com/StJohnsSheriffOffice/posts/pfbid0zo3ZAJob3JGPCUozmHsuagWtmFiwEXBj4zCfcuWhCaSmLj52kQVnx3grF2UZFWzol

 

[mst]

We have had rip tide warnings for days now

 

[Ssschu]

I'm trying to figure out what could have possibly broken his kayak in half. They wouldn't have been kayaking in a terrible storm.

 

[ifindedout]

I'm trying to figure out what could have possibly broken his kayak in half. They wouldn't have been kayaking in a terrible storm.

Shark attack, maybe? Only other possibility I can think of is being run over by a ship or boat.

 

[Ssschu]

Shark attack, maybe? Only other possibility I can think of is being run over by a ship or boat.

I have to admit I had flashes of Jaws when I read it was broken in half. I hadn't thought about a boat hitting it but that seems like the most plausible explanation now that you mention it.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I wonder if he hit ocean debris or coral unexpectedly. Sometimes there is a rouge wave out of nowhere too but the others would have noticed that. If it were a shark attack, the boat would have a jagged obvious break.

It seems really strange they all kayaked so far from each other that they lost sight of one member.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Veterans group still looking for Florida kayaker after Coast Guard stops search

A veterans group is still holding onto hope after the U.S. Coast Guard called off its search for a missing kayaker off the Florida coast on Sunday.

www.newsnationnow.com

A veterans group is still holding onto hope after the U.S. Coast Guard called off its search for a missing kayaker off the Florida coast on Sunday.

Gilyana’s friends and family continued their search on Christmas morning, alongside Task Force Hydro 1 – a group that tackles mental health and emotional healing for veterans and active duty military members through water sports.

 

[Rush4087]

I’m no expert, but the only events I can think of that could cause that kind of damage to a kayak would be a collision with a speed boat or a shark attack.

White shark Keji pings off eastern Florida. Is he heading toward Gulf of Mexico again?

Great white sharks love Florida waters in the winter and Keji has shown up in the Gulf of Mexico for the last two years.

www.jacksonville.com

Although attacks are rare, apparently this is the time of year (actually, starting in November) when great whites and tiger sharks migrate from further up the Atlantic coast down past the Carolinas and Georgia to overwinter in warmer waters off the coast of Florida.

There are many msm articles online (most out of Jacksonville) that discuss specific great white sharks (Keji, Gladee, Ironbound, Sarah, Andromache, Crystal, Breton), identified by Ocearch which have been spotted off the coast of St Augustine - some very recently.

From the article, apparently for a great white to be spotted by Ocearch, the dorsal fin (I guess the location of transmitter) must break the surface. I wonder if LE and coast guard have checked with Ocearch for any spottings in the St Augustine area on 12/23.

Jmo

 

[Darling136]

Body of the canoer found :-(