The body of Yohanes Kidane, a Netflix engineer and recent Cornell University graduate who had gone missing, has been discovered in the waters of the San Francisco Bay, as reported by authorities.
Yohanes Kidane, 22, had recently relocated to California after securing a position as a software engineer with the streaming giant Netflix. His tenure at Netflix had only just begun, lasting a mere few weeks before his sudden disappearance.
Kidane was last seen on the evening of 14 August when he entered a black Toyota Camry Uber bound for San Jose at approximately 7:15 PM. The following day, a commuter stumbled upon the 22-year-old’s phone and wallet, promptly turning them in to the authorities. Two days after his disappearance, Kidane’s backpack was found, with his belongings seemingly untouched, according to statements made by his brother.
Tragically, the engineer’s lifeless body was discovered on 29 August by a passing boat in the waters of the San Francisco Bay, situated to the northeast of the Golden Gate Bridge. Marin County Sheriff’s Office reported that the remains exhibited signs of advanced decomposition, indicative of prolonged exposure to the aquatic environment, and had suffered noticeable depredation, as detailed by Roger G. Fielding, the county’s Chief Deputy Coroner.
On 31 August, the coroner officially identified the recovered body as that of Yohanes Kidane, determining that his death resulted from blunt impact injuries, followed by drowning.
The Coroner Division and Marin County Sheriff’s Office extended their deepest condolences to Kidane’s family and friends in light of this tragic outcome.
In the wake of his disappearance, a fundraising campaign was initiated to support the search for the missing young man, ultimately amassing over $100,000.
Yohanes Kidane’s older brother, Yosief Kidane, had previously described him as “my best friend,” while his mother remembered him as “a good man who had a bright future, very loving to his family.”
In case you or someone you know is grappling with feelings of distress or isolation, The Samaritans offer confidential support, accessible through phone contact at 116 123 (UK and ROI), email at jo@samaritans.org, or by visiting the Samaritans website. For those in the USA requiring immediate mental health assistance, the National Suicide Prevention Helpline can be reached at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), offering free and confidential crisis intervention services 24/7. For individuals in other countries, www.befrienders.org provides a directory of helplines in various regions.
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