Missing fisherman's paddleboard found a dozen miles offshore between Miami and Fort Lauderdale

MIAMI – A distressing point in the search for a paddle boarder who has been missing since Monday.

Luciano MercenariA 29-year-old experienced paddle boarder and fisherman left his home in the Key Biscayne neighborhood of Cape Florida around 5:15 p.m.

“He was supposed to go to Stiltsville and he usually makes these trips in about two hours and gets back before sunset. He didn't show up so we searched for him yesterday and today, everywhere, by sea, by air and with paddle boards around the island. We hope to find him,” Gretel Capriles, a family friend, said Tuesday.

Several agencies, including the Coast Guard, Miami-Dade Police and Florida Fish and Wildlife, are participating in the research.

On Wednesday morning, shortly after 8 a.m., the US Coast Guard posted on X, formerly Twitter, that “a good Samaritan located a paddleboard and dry bag belonging to the overdue paddleboarder 8 to 11 miles to the wide, between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Capriles said Mercenari had made the trip to Stiltsville before and never had a problem.

“He is an amazing person and a fisherman. He also won a rowing championship and was a national champion. His nickname was LUC for light. He lit up everyone around him,” she said .

The Coast Guard said the search continued