Key Biscayne paddleboarder missing, police seek help

The search is underway for a 29-year-old Key Biscayne resident who was last seen leaving his home while heading toward a waterway near Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Monday evening.

Key Biscayne police said home security camera footage showed Luciano Mercenari heading toward the waterway around 5 p.m. He was reportedly spearfishing on a Niphean paddleboard, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Mercenari wore a light gray long-sleeve shirt and gray athletic shorts, according to a missing flyer posted by the Coast Guard on X, formerly Twitter. He has short cut brown hair and a close shave.

Searches have been underway since the early hours of Tuesday. Miami Dade police, Coral Gables police and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are also assisting in the search.

“We are asking anyone who has information about their whereabouts or information about the paddleboard to contact the Key Biscayne Police Department,” said Key Biscayne Police Chief Frank Sousa. “If any Key Biscayne homeowner or resident has surveillance footage, we ask that they please contact our investigative team.”

After speaking with Sousa, Key Biscayne Mayor Joe Rasco said, “The situation has not improved. »

“There are a large number of volunteers on paddleboards who are not looking until now,” Rasco said. “We must continue to hope and pray that Luciano can be found.”

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BIILY JEAN LOUIS is the editor of the Key Biscayne Independent. Originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jean Louis has worked for Bloomberg and the Baltimore Sunshine. He is a member of the body of Report for America

Editor-in-Chief

Tony Winton is editor of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He previously worked at the Associated Press for three decades and won several Edward R. Murrow Awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalists' union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he graduated from Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking and science fiction.