The body of a beloved Florida Army veteran who went missing during a weekend canoeing trip was found Tuesday, loved ones said.
Eiffel Gilyana, 46 – who went missing during a group outing on Saturday morning – was found dead on Vilano Beach on Tuesday evening, friends said.
“Words cannot express the emptiness that surrounds us all, the heavy weight of a future etched in her absence,” a friend wrote about Gilyana on a GoFundMe page that had raised more than $70,000 as of Wednesday morning.
The Coast Guard launched a search for him Saturday but suspended the effort after 48 hours, while volunteers continued to comb the waters for any sign of the successful fitness instructor and former competitive bodybuilder.
The Iraqi native served in the US military from 2003 to 2009 as a translator.
Gilyana ended up settling in Jacksonville to avoid retaliation from ISIS for his assistance to US forces, according to reports.
Gilyana disappeared in St. Augustine on Saturday. Eiffel Gilyana/Facebook Sampan Gilyana was found broken in half. Rick Van Rickley/Facebook
He soon became a successful fitness instructor, and was known for his grueling endurance performances.
The seasoned kayaker once completed a 150-mile trip from Miami to Key West.
Gilyana serves as the health coordinator for the local Jewish Community Alliance, which notes her dedication and background accomplishments in her bio.
The fitness instructor is a former bodybuilder and US Army veteran. Eiffel Gilyana/Facebook The Iraqi native moved to Jacksonville after serving as a translator. The crew searched for Gilyana for two days before calling off the mission. Jax Action News
Adam Chaskin, CEO of the Jewish Community Alliance, mourned her loss on Tuesday.
“Eiffel is not only the director of fitness and health at JCA. He’s not just a personal trainer,” Chaskin said. “He became part of people’s families and people became part of his family. He just had such a warm heart and so many people connected so easily, and were so kind to him over the years.”
In addition to her work with the group, Gilyana serves as a health and wellness advisor for Task Force Hydro 1, a nonprofit group that works with veterans and emergency workers.
“We will mourn her deeply, but we will also celebrate the gift of her existence, the light she brought into our world, and the legacy of love she left behind,” the GoFundMe page said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
