The family of Luciano Mercenari, a professional diver and spearfisher who went missing while paddleboarding off the coast of Key Biscayne, Florida, is calling on Garmin, the navigation company, for help. Mercenari was wearing a GPS-enabled Garmin diving watch at the time of his disappearance. His cousin, Allegra Jacchia, posted on social media urging Garmin to release the location data from the watch. The post went viral with the hashtag “#FindLuc” and tagging Garmin in hopes that the company will take further action to locate Mercenari.
Despite wearing a Garmin diving watch, the company informed the family that the watch had not been synced to a phone since March, so there was no way to track his location. Jacchia stated that the family pleaded with Garmin for more information and begged for their help in finding a way to locate him. Garmin, in response, stated that they have been in touch with local police in Key Biscayne since early Tuesday morning and have responded to inquiries from family members via email. They expressed their commitment to support efforts to locate Mercenari.
Mercenari was last seen on surveillance video leaving his residence wearing a long white sleeve shirt, black and red shorts, and carrying a gray backpack. His teal and orange Niphean inflatable paddleboard was found intact nearby by civilians, along with his wet bag containing a mask, snorkel, gloves, and water bottle 3½ miles off the coast of Pompano. Search efforts involving Florida Fish and Wildlife officials, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Miami-Dade and Key Biscayne police include boats, helicopters, and planes looking for him.
Despite his disappearance, Jacchia emphasized that Mercenari is a professional diver and spearfisher who knows the water very well, making it not unusual for him to be out in these conditions. The family remains hopeful and is doing everything they can to find him, relying on the assistance of various search teams involved in the efforts. Key Biscayne police did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but anyone with information on Mercenari’s whereabouts is urged to contact them at 305-365-5555.
The situation has deeply concerned the family, friends, and the community at large, as many have been following the search for Mercenari closely. The family’s pleas for assistance from Garmin highlight the importance of technology and communication in search and rescue efforts during emergencies like this. Despite the challenges faced in tracking his location due to the lack of recent syncing of the watch, efforts continue to locate Mercenari through comprehensive search operations involving multiple agencies and resources. The focus remains on finding him and bringing him back to safety as soon as possible.
