The family of a “professional diver and spearfisher” is desperately seeking help in locating Luciano Mercenari, who went missing while paddleboarding off the coast of Key Biscayne, Florida. Mercenari was wearing a GPS-enabled Garmin diving watch at the time of his disappearance, prompting his cousin, Allegra Jacchia, to reach out to the company for assistance.
Jacchia’s social media post urging Garmin to release the location data went viral, with the hashtag “#FindLuc” gaining traction online. Despite initial setbacks due to the watch not being synced to a phone since March, Garmin has reportedly agreed to send out a team with sonar devices to aid in the search for Mercenari.
The Key Biscayne Police Department provided a missing person report detailing Mercenari’s last known whereabouts, and his intact paddleboard was discovered by civilians off the coast of Pompano. Search efforts involving Florida Fish and Wildlife officials, the U.S. Coast Guard, and local law enforcement are ongoing, with boats, helicopters, and planes deployed to locate Mercenari.
The family remains hopeful and determined to find Mercenari, a beloved member of their close-knit community. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Key Biscayne police. The situation is developing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
