A skeleton found still wearing a wetsuit and attached to a kiteboard may be the remains of a kitesurfer who went missing more than two months ago.
The remains were recovered off the coast of Daryanah, in Libya’s Benghazi district, on Saturday (4 July).
A fisherman spotted the body in the water and raised the alarm.
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Although the victim has not yet been formally identified, Italian authorities believe it is Mimmo Piepoli.
The wetsuit the remains were still encased in, along with the kiteboard, closely matches the equipment used by the 39-year-old from Erchie, Italy.
Mimmo, who was married and the father of two children, was passionate about the sea and water sports.
He disappeared on 1 May while kitesurfing off Porto Cesareo, more than 500 miles from where the body was found.
He had gone out with a group of friends, returned to shore after losing his kite in the strong northerly winds, then headed back out on to the water.
Witnesses later saw him struggling before he disappeared beneath the waves, as reported by Need To Know.
The initial search, coordinated by the Italian Coast Guard, covered an area of around 250 square kilometres (97 square miles).
Aircraft, including an Italian Navy helicopter, were also deployed.
In the following days, the search was expanded with divers and aircraft, but the only trace of Mimmo recovered was his inflatable kite, found tangled around rocks a few days later.
The body has been taken to hospital for DNA testing to establish the victim’s identity.
Italy’s Scientific Committee for Missing Persons Searches said: “We hope the family will soon receive confirmation, however painful it may be.”
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