What happened to Eiffel Gilyana? GoFundMe raises over $63,000 as body of missing Kayaker found on Vilano beach

Eiffel Gilyana, a Florida fitness instructor and Army veteran, has been missing since a canoe surfing excursion over the weekend was found dead north of Vilano Beach by a fisherman on Tuesday, December 26, 2023.

Jen Grubbs, the organizer of the GoFundMe account set up to render financial assistance to Gilyana’s family in the wake of his disappearance, confirmed that the 46-year-old fitness instructor was found dead after four days of relentless searching.

“My heart aches to share that after four days of relentless searching, the waterways have yielded Eiffel's remains this afternoon.”

Gilyana, a father of three children, went missing on Saturday, December 23, near the ocean side of the North Jetties in St. Augustine, while kayaking with Task Force Hydro-1, a nonprofit group that works with veterans and emergency workers.

Other members of the task force alerted authorities after they lost sight of the veteran, who was not wearing a life vest, and found his canoe broken in half. Following an intensive search, where they covered approximately 341 square miles, on Sunday, the United States Coast Guard said they had “suspended the search for a missing kayaker near St. Augustine Inlet, Florida.”

Two days later, the body of Eiffel Gilyana, an experienced kayaker, was found by a fisherman north of Vilano Beach.

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Eiffel Gilyana was a translator in the US military

A GoFundMe campaign launched in the wake of Eiffel Gilyana’s disappearance revealed the father of three was a native of Iraq. Per multiple reports, Eiffel Gilyana, who served as a translator in the US military from 2003 to 2009, escaped his native country and settled in Jacksonville following threats from ISIS. The GoFundMe page, which has raised over $63,000, said:

“Escaping unimaginable hardship in Iraq, Eiffel rebuilt a life in Jacksonville with his wife Lana and their three children, embracing every moment with an open heart.”

In Florida, Gilyana became a successful fitness instructor and served as health coordinator for the local Jewish Community Alliance (JCA). Eiffel also served as health and wellness adviser for Task Force Hydro 1. In the wake of the tragedy, JCA CEO Adam Chaskin condoled Gilyana’s death in a statement.

“During this truly difficult time, we hold Eiffel’s family, friends, Task Force Hydro1 teammates, clients and our JCA community close in prayer.”

Search and rescue coordinator, Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Cmdr. Nick Barrow also extended his condolence to the victim’s grieving family.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic event. This was an intensive search with the hope 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 unified effort.”

As the community grapples with the tragedy, the GoFundMe account remembered the Kayaker as a fiercely vibrant individual with an infectious smile.