CORPSE IN THE WATER
Etika missing – Body found in hunt for YouTuber after his possessions were found on Manhattan Bridge
Guy Birchall
25 Jun 2019, 8:53
Updated: 25 Jun 2019, 12:14
POLICE have found a body as the search for missing YouTuber Etika continues.
Cops confirmed they discovered a corpse floating in the East River in Manhattan but have yet to identify who it is.
Etika, 29, disappeared Wednesday after posting a disturbing video about his suicidal thoughtsCredit: Etika
Etika, real name Desmond Amofah, was last heard from on Wednesday night after posting a worrying video in which he expressed suicidal thoughts.
The New York Police Department said they responded to an emergency call at 6:18pm reporting a body in the water.
The male was pronounced dead at the scene and is awaiting identification by relatives.
In a statement, the NYPD said: "The medical examiner will determine the cause of death and the investigation is ongoing.
"Identification of the deceased is pending proper family notification.
"The medical examiner will confirm identification."
The morbid discovery comes after a phone and a backpack, believed to belong to the missing 29-year-old gamer were found on a bridge in the city.
Among the belongings found were his driving licence, a Nintendo Switch, headphones, clothes and wallet.
In the last clip he uploaded to streaming site Twitch and to YoutTube he said: "I'm sorry, yo. I'm sorry I betrayed your trust, I'm sorry I pushed you all away."
In the video's description he wrote "I mislead so many of you, I manipulated, I lied, I shifted blame… I don't know what awaits me on the other side, but I'm ready to face it."
Visibly upset, he continued to apologise, saying that he "made a clown" of himself.
He added: "I wasn't suicidal before, I really wasn't. But one thing I didn't realise is that the walls were closing in on me so fast".
I wasn't suicidal before, I really wasn't. But one thing I didn't realise is that the walls were closing in on me so fast.
EtikaMissing YouTuber
Following his disappearance last week a spokesman for the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information said: "It has been reported to police that the missing was last heard from on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 at approximately 20.00 hours by phone.
"The missing is described as follows: Amofah, Desmond aka Etika."
Desmond is described as a black male, approximately 6ft with brown eyes and black hair, wearing a white T-shirt.
'PLEASE BE SAFE'
Concerned fans have been appealing to the vanished star who boasts 130,000 subscribers to his gaming channel.
Comments such as "please be safe, we can't lose you,' and "we love you from the bottom of our hearts!" have flooded social media.
According to his former girlfriend, Desmond had been struggling with his mental health and had been hospitalised in the past.
This comes after a spate of similarly worrying tweets in April, in which Desmond describes being 'mentally troubled'.
However, fans and fellow YouTubers alike are pushing for the gamer's mental health to be taken seriously.
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YouTuber Sky Williams tweeted, "please start taking @etika's mental health seriously. like sure he's flip flopped a bunch of times and i know it's taxing – but suicide attempts/threats should never be blown off.
"Just be sensible."
NYPD describe the investigation into Desmond Amofah's disappearance as ongoing.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
A fellow YouTuber urged social media users to 'be sensible' when discussing the star's mental health
Desmond has made a career out of gamingCredit: Etika
NYPD are appealing to the public for help
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans on (free) 116123 or 020 7734 2800.