Police looking into Garmin watch amid search for missing South Florida paddleboarder
MIAMI - Investigators have reached out to tech company Garmin, hoping to track a watch that might provide clues about a missing paddleboarder's whereabouts.
On Thursday, a prayer service was held for Luciano Mercenari, 29, who left his home Monday at around 5:15 p.m. in the Cape Florida neighborhood of Key Biscayne and has not been seen since.
"He was supposed to go to Stiltsville and he usually does these trips in about two hours and comes back before sundown. He has not shown up so we have been looking for him," said family friend Gretel Capriles on Tuesday.
Multiple agencies including the Coast Guard, Miami-Dade Police, and Florida Fish and Wildlife are involved in the search.
Friends said Mercenari may have been wearing his Garmin watch which can track a person's location.
The company responded in the comments section on an X post about Mercernari's disappearance.
"We know this must be incredibly worrisome for family and friends of Luciano Mercenari. Garmin has been in touch with local police in Key Biscayne since early Tuesday morning. We will continue to do whatever we can to support efforts to locate Luciano. We sincerely hope he is found and returned to safety soon."
On Wednesday morning, just after 8 a.m., the U.S. Coast Guard posted on X, formerly Twitter, that "a good Samaritan located a paddleboard and dry bag belonging to the overdue paddleboarder 8-11 miles offshore between Miami and Fort Lauderdale."
Capriles said Mercenari had made the trip to Stiltsville before and never had a problem. She hopes he's found safe.
"He is an amazing person and a fisherman. He also won a rowing championship and was a national champ. His nickname was LUC for light. He would Light up everyone around him," she said.
The Coast Guard said the search for Mercenari continues.
On Thursday, family and friends put out on social media a frantic plea for help, asking anyone with a boat, plane or helicopter to participate in the search.
According to Josh Zarate, a friend of Mercenari, the U.S. Coast Guard has expanded its search for the missing paddleboarder north and east, into deeper waters.
