Missing YouTuber Desmond Amofah, known as
“Etika”, has been found dead in a New York river after an eight-minute
video he posted sparked grave fears for his wellbeing.
The 29-year-old was found by police overnight a week after he went missing.The New York Police Department confirmed Mr Amofah’s body was discovered in the East River after responding to a public call about a deceased person floating in the water near South Street Seaport.
Mr Amofah was reported missing on the night of June 19, some 36 hours after his troubling video message was shared online.
Authorities said the investigation was ongoing, and his cause of death was not confirmed.
Mr Amofah first sparked fears among his fans after posting a video titled “I’m sorry” on his
YouTube channel TR1Iceman that expressed suicidal thoughts.
“I shouldn’t have pushed so many people away. Now, I’ve got nobody,” Mr Amofah said in the video. “I’m sorry to those of you who I betrayed. I’m sorry for leaving such a stained legacy.”
In the video, he also warned against the dangers of social media while going into detail about his struggle with mental health.
“It can give you an image of what you want your life to be and get blown completely out of
proportion,” he said. “It consumed me.”
YouTube has since taken down the eight-minute clip, which was likely removed for violating the platform’s suicide policy.
The policy bans “content that promotes self-harm”.
The YouTube Creators official account tweeted they were mourning the loss of Etika, “a beloved member of our gaming creator community”.
“All of us at YouTube are sending our condolences to his loved ones and fans,” it said.
Many in the YouTube community, including some of his 137,000 subscribers, are calling for YouTube to reinstate his final video.
Others posted tributes to Mr Amofah, including beauty YouTuber James Charles.
“My heart is so heavy hearing this news. I hope that the community finally realises that creators are human beings with real, valid feelings,” he wrote on Twitter.
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au. In an emergency, call triple-0
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