Missing Key Biscayne man’s paddleboard found near Fort Lauderdale as sea search continues
Luciano Mercenari was last seen two days ago heading out for a spearfishing trip off Key Biscayne on his paddleboard.
His paddleboard was found floating in the Atlantic Ocean off the South Florida coast but Mercenari, a former high school rowing champion, remained missing. His family is worried but still hopes an on-going search by the Coast Guard and others will locate him
The Coast Guard reported Wednesday that a boater had recovered the paddleboard and some gear offshore about 7 to 10 nautical miles off the Fort Lauderdale area, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Diana Shrebs, a Coast Guard spokeswoman. It was not immediately clear if the board had been found Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning, she said.
The Coast Guard is continuing its search for the 29-year-old man, Shrebs said.
His family could not be reached for comment. But in in TikTok posted late Tuesday afternoon, Mercenari’s cousin Allegra Jacchia said the 29-year-old was wearing a Garmin watch, which she said should be trackable.
“We’ve contacted Garmin directly; unfortunately, they’ve been not helpful at all,” said Jacchia. “They are saying that because the watch hasn’t been updated to the latest update, then they can’t track it. We don’t know if this is actually true, but we’re asking for more explanation. We’re trying to understand if there’s anything, anything that they can do because this could save Luc’s life.
“We have boats. We have planes searching, but it’s almost 6 p.m. in Miami now. It’s getting dark,” she said in a TikTok on Tuesday afternoon. “We’re just extremely worried. This is so unlike him.”
Luciano was a rowing champion alongside his twin brother Leonardo. He attended Immaculata-La Salle High School.
In 2012 the Miami Herald reported the brother’s helped propel the Miami Rowing Club men’s lightweight eight boat to place sixth in the finals at the USRowing Junior National Championships on Melton Hill Lake.
“We gave it our all,” Luciano Mercenari said to the Herald at the time. “We didn’t come in overconfident. It [finishing sixth] was tough, but we’ll come back next year. We’ll use that as motivation.
The search area spans from the waters off Miami-Dade County to Lake Worth, in Palm Beach County, said Shrebs.
The man was wearing a light gray “Reef Cheefs” rash guard and gray sports shorts when he left his family’s home through Pines Canal around 5:15 p.m. Monday, according to the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard is asking boaters to be on the lookout for Luciano throughout South Florida waters, and also that anyone with information about his possible whereabouts to call 305-535-4300, 786-316-1074, or call Key Biscayne police at 305-365-5555.
