Body of missing Netflix engineer Yohanes Kidane found in San Francisco Bay

His death was determined to be a suicide, the coroner wrote

Yohanes Kidane, a recent Cornell graduate, went missing mid-August (Yohanes Kidane / LinkedIn)

The body of a missing Netflix engineer and recent Cornell University graduate has been found in the San Francisco Bay, according to reports.

Yohanes Kidane, 22, recently moved to California after being hired by the streaming giant as a software engineer. He had only been working at Netflix for a few weeks before he vanished.

Kidane was last seen entering a black Toyota Camry Uber headed toward San Jose on 14 August at about 7.15pm. The next day, a commuter found the 22-year-old’s phone and wallet and turned them in. Two days after he vanished, his backpack was recovered and his belongings appeared “untouched,” according to his brother.

The engineer’s body was reportedly found on 29 August by a passing boat in the “San Francisco Bay waters northeast of the Golden Gate Bridge,” according to Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

“The remains exhibited signs of advanced decomposition, prolonged exposure to the aquatic environment and appreciable depredation,” wrote Roger G. Fielding, the county’s Chief Deputy Coroner.

On 31 August, the coroner identified the body as Kidane’s, concluding he had died by suicide. Mr Fielding wrote that his death was caused by “blunt impact injuries with drowning.”

“The Marin County Sheriff’s Office and personnel of the Coroner Division offers our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Kidane,” the coroner added.

A fundraiser for the search for the missing young man garnered over $100,000.

The 22-year-old’s older brother Yosief Kidane previously described him as “my best friend,” while his mother said he was “a good man who has a bright future, very loving to his family.”

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.