KEY POINTS

  • Kayaker Mark Miele was rescued by authorities after embarking on a solo trip on the Everglades
  • Miele started his expedition on January 22 and was scheduled to return on January 29
  • He did not return, but his bag containing his wallet and phone was washed ashore
  • Deputies tracked Miele's whereabouts by downloading data on his phone and pinpointed his last known location

A kayaker who went missing while on an expedition in the Florida everglades was found alive by authorities late Monday.

Mark Miele went on a solo kayaking trip in Everglades on January 22 and was supposed to come back on the 29th. However, the 67-year-old didn't return, but a bag that contained his wallet and phone was discovered Sunday on the bank of the Lopez River by National Park Service, said ABC News.

Tourists travel by kayak on Half Moon island, Antarctica
Tourists travel by kayak on Half Moon island, Antarctica AFP / Johan ORDONEZ

Deputies who helped park rangers downloaded data from Miele's phone late Sunday and pinpointed his last known location that had been recorded Friday. This gave the sheriff's aviation unit a starting point to initiate their search, according to the Associated Press, through Yahoo! News.

A helicopter crew eventually found Miele floating face-up wearing a life jacket a few miles from where his bag was discovered, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post..

Miele was transported and treated at a Naples hospital after boats took him to safety.

Authorities didn't immediately disclosed how or when Miele lost his kayak.

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