JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) -- 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.
Eiffel Gilyana, 46, disappeared Saturday morning while kayaking with a group of friends near the St. Augustine Inlet, according to a report from NBC affiliate WTLV.
Crews found Gilyana's kayak overturned in the water, but there was no sign of him. After two days and about 350 miles of searching, the Coast Guard called off its search at sundown.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic event," Cmdr. Nick Barrow, search and rescue coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville, wrote in a statement. "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.”
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.
“You have no idea the smile he would get on his face whenever he would get in his canoe, then try to catch a wave with it," Task Force Hydro1 co-founder Leo Yui told WTLV.
Gilyana was active within the group and served as its fitness advisor, according to Yui, making sure everyone is physically conditioned and equipped to handle the water.
“That’s something that really helped him a lot, just getting out in the ocean, sharing the stoke and sharing that experience with everyone," Yui told WTLV.
Yui will spend his Christmas on the water, hoping to uncover any sign of his friend. The group also asked volunteers to gather at the beach to paddle and walk along the water.
“If I was missing, he would be the one getting on his outrigger, looking for me,” Yui told WTLV.