Missing YouTuber Etika Found Dead in East River, NYPD Says

Emergency responders work at the scene of a helicopter crash in the East River in New York City on March 11, 2018. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

A body pulled from New York City’s East River was identified as a missing YouTuber, “Etika,” according to reports on June 25.

Etika, born Desmond Amofah, was reported missing on June 19, the New York Post reported, adding that he had posted a cryptic message about suicide.

The body was found June 24 near the South Street Seaport in Brooklyn, officials told the paper.

“We regret to inform that Desmond Amofah aka Etika has been found deceased,” the NYPD tweeted on June 25 at around 1 p.m. ET.

The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office said it will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Before he was reported missing, he posted an 8-minute long video about being suicidal while apologizing.

“I’m sorry for leaving such a stained legacy,” he said in the clip before it was deleted. “I hope that my story maybe helps to make YouTube a better place in the future where people know boundaries and limits and how far things should go.”

The YouTube video has since been re-posted by other users.

“You know I wasn’t suicidal before — I really wasn’t. But one thing I didn’t realize was that the walls were closing around me so fast. I really had no intention of killing myself but I’d always push it too far,” Amofah added. “I guess I am mentally ill.”

Amofah had netted hundreds of thousands of subscribers and followers on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. He usually made video game reviews.

In the video, he blasted social media.

“Let my story be one that advises caution on too much of the social media [expletive], man,” he said.

“It will [expletive] you up and give you an image of what you want your life to be and it can get blown completely out of proportion, dog. Unfortunately, it consumed me.”

His cellphone, Nintendo Switch console, his identification, and other items were found by police on the Manhattan Bridge.

Etika’s friends and fans paid tribute to him on social media.

One described him as “a great entertainer,” according to the BBC.

“One of the best streamers in the game. He lost a channel of over 800,000 [subscribers] and made a new one and was right back pulling thousands of viewers. Wherever he’s laid to rest I'll be there,” the user wrote.

“Sad to know a bright light faded today,” wrote professional gamer Zinoto.

Members of the YouTube and Twitch gaming communities attempted to reach out to him since he went missing.

Daniel “Keemstar” Keem tweeted at him to get help.

“Listen man if you can see this right now please let the internet know you are alive,” Keem tweeted. “Yes some people will be mad but trust me way more people will be happy to know you are alive and safe somewhere.”

Suicide Hotlines

If you are in an emergency in the United States or Canada, please call 911. You can phone the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1 800 273 8255. Youth can call the Kids Help Phone on 1800 668 6868.

In Australia, the suicide prevention telephone hotline at Lifeline is 13 11 14. You can also visit the Lifeline website at lifeline.org.au. Youth can contact the Kids Helpline by phoning 1800 551 800 or visiting headspace.org.au/yarn-safe

If you are in an emergency in India, call Befrienders India–National Association at [phone].