PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The body of missing canoeist was recovered in South Ponte Vedra Beach Tuesday afternoon, a close friend of the victim confirmed.
46-year-old Eiffel Gilyana disappeared on December 23 after being separated from a group of canoeists near St. Augustine Inlet.
"It was two fishermen who saw the body pushing into the shore," close friend and Hydro Task Force-1 member Leonardo Yui said.
The Coast Guard suspended its search on Christmas Eve, but many who knew Gilyana had been conducting their own search since Christmas.
The Jewish Community Alliance, where Gilyana was the Fitness and Wellness Director, says his body was found about seven miles from where he was last seen.
The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office says a call to 911 came in around noon Tuesday to report a body washed up on the shore near 2700 Ponte Vedra Blvd.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is leading the investigation but did not respond to our request for information on Tuesday.
Yui, who is a member of Hydro Task Force-1 says Gilyana enjoyed outrigger canoeing and fitness.
"He was very, very well knowledgeable when it comes to fitness," he said. "There are so many scenarios that all of us play in our head like what he could have done differently or what we could have done differently. But at the end of the day, it's mother nature you know. It's the ocean and as much as we love mother nature we also have to respect it."
JCA says it plans on hosting a gathering in remembrance and celebration of Gilyana. Those details have not been confirmed yet. If you wish to help the Gilyana family, visit the JCA website.