The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a kayaker who was reported missing over the weekend off Florida’s Atlantic coast.

The missing man, 46-year-old Eiffel Gilyana, was with a group of other kayakers near the St. Augustine Inlet near Jacksonville on Saturday. At around 10:39 a.m., the group called in saying Mr. Gilyana had gone missing without a life jacket, Coast Guard officials said.

Mr. Gilyana’s capsized kayak did eventually wash ashore but with no sign of its occupant, according to WJAX-TV.

Coast Guard crews scoured 341 square miles of ocean before ultimately calling off the search Sunday.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragic event. This was an intensive search with the hope of finding Mr. Gilyana,” Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Search and Rescue Coordinator Commander Nick Barrow said in a statement.

Mr. Gilyana, an Iraq native, worked as a translator for the U.S. military from 2003 to 2009 and later moved to America. He is the fitness and wellness director for Jacksonville’s Jewish Community Alliance and a part of the veteran mental health organization Task Force Hydro 1.

“During this truly difficult time, we hold Eiffel’s family, friends, Task Force Hydro 1 teammates, clients and our JCA community close in prayer,” the JCA said in a statement.

Volunteer search efforts to find Mr. Gilyana are ongoing.

“We’re hoping for the best and expecting the worst, really. There are many emotions right now. … So, we just gotta keep going and do the best we can,” Leonardo Yui, a fellow TFH1 team member who was out searching for Mr. Gilyana Monday, told WTLV-TV.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.