JUPITER, Fla. — Family members said that the man found floating near Dubois Park on Wednesday was 24-year-old Michael Gaziano.
"He loved his family, he loved his sister, his mom and dad, he loved his friends," said his aunt Judie Jameson, who flew in from Boston after hearing the news. "He just had beautiful blue eyes and a wonderful smile. He was a good boy, he was so young."
She said Gaziano was living in Hobe Sound and a Jupiter High School graduate.
Jameson describes her nephew as a jokester who loved the water and always wanted to go fishing.
"He really wanted to work on a boat, he always talked about it," said Jameson. "He finally found the job and he was just so happy he called his mom and dad and said I'm going to bring home fish for dinner tonight and called his sister to say hello to his sister and he was just so happy where he was."
A happy place where his story ended.
"It's a lot to understand how it happened," said Jameson. "He was a strong swimmer 'cause Mikey is always in the water."
What happened to Michael Gaziano?
Daniel Barnickel, a lieutenant with Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue, said they believe Gaziano was cleaning a boat near Love Street and somehow fell in the water. He believes the current carried him near the docks at Dubois Park.
That's when he said five bystanders pulled the body out, and alerted a lifeguard who then began doing CPR while other first responders arrived.
"My understanding was he was face down in the water when he was pulled out," said Barnickel. "It sounds like a very tragic accident and these things happen, especially in places like Florida where you're surrounded by water."
How the family is coping with his loss
When WPTV reporter Joel Lopez arrived to meet the family, Gaziano's parents were out making funeral arrangements.
During the interview with Jameson, Gaziano's uncle, Charles Galiardo, arrived to meet with the family.
"I buried my son in 1991, same way. Drowned," said Galiardo.
He said Gaziano was like a son to him.
"I said to him be careful," said Galiardo. "I don't know the particulars of what happened, but it's a loss."
While said Gaziano is no longer with loved ones, they said they have peace in knowing he was doing what he loved.
"If you had a message for Mikey, now that he's watching over us, what's that message that you would like to give him?" asked Lopez.
"I hope you meet my son," said Galiardo.
As to what exactly happened is still under investigation.
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