Eiffel Afram Gilyana, 46, of Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, United States is still missing. The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search for him.
Originally from Ankawa, Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, Gilyana is fluent in Aramaic, Arabic, Kurdish and English. He attended Salahaddin University-Erbil in Erbil, Erbil Governorate.
With a bachelor’s degree in physical education and sports science and a master’s degree in sports biomechanics, Gilyana started working in the fitness industry in 1997. He is a novice surfer, a nationally ranked bodybuilder and a former competitive soccer player.
In 2009, Gilyana joined the Jewish Community Alliance in Jacksonville as a fitness and wellness director. He is also the health and wellness advisor for Task Force Hydro 1, a non-profit that serves veterans and first responders.
On the morning of December 23, 2023, Gilyana went paddling went paddling in his outrigger canoe off the coast of Vilano Beach, St. Johns County, Florida with a group of paddlers from Task Force Hydro1. The team lost sight of the Iraqi-American man, who wearing black pants with no shirt or life jacket.
The kayakers could not find Eiffel but they found his canoe damaged. At 10:39 a.m., they contacted the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville watchstander and reported that he went missing near the St. Augustine Inlet in St. Augustine, St. Johns County.
CONAN Daily 