A man who went missing during a night out with friends in Vancouver has been tragically found dead. After a gut-wrenching three weeks of searching for missing 36-year-old Irshaad Ikbal, police said they’ve recovered his remains in Vancouver.
According to a release on Friday, May 19 from the Vancouver Police Department, Ikbal’s remains were discovered in False Creek in the water near the Plaza of Nations Thursday evening after a passerby called 911.
A witness told Daily Hive that the body was found just a few metres from a ferry dock, and that officers arrived on the scene by boat shortly after 7:30 pm Thursday night.
Vancouver Police officers brought him to shore, and now the BC Coroners Service is investigating as no cause of death has been determined yet.
VPD said in the release that it “extends its sympathies to the family, friends, and community members who helped search for Irshaad after he went missing on April 29.”
VPD first appealed to the public for help finding Ikbal after he was separated from his friends. He was last seen near the Plaza of Nations on Pacific Boulevard at around 2 am on Saturday, April 29.
The same area where his body would be discovered three weeks later.
Have you seen this missing person?
Irshaad Ikbal, 36, was last seen around 2 a.m. Saturday near the Plaza of Nations on Pacific Blvd.
Mr. Ikbal is South Asian, 5’8” and 155 pounds.
Have info? Wish to remain anonymous? Contact at 1-800-222-8477 or at https://t.co/4Rh2XJ4I6V. pic.twitter.com/5c9BJvaMCe
— Crime Stoppers (@SolveCrime) May 3, 2023
Police said Ikbal’s disappearance was out of character, and his family and friends were extremely concerned for his safety. More than 200 family, friends, and supporters joined in a rally to search for him earlier this month. Posters pleading for information on his whereabouts were defaced with racist stickers in Vancouver.
Now, police say the investigation into Ikbal’s disappearance is ongoing, and once the BC Coroner’s Office completes its investigation, there will be more information on a potential cause of death.
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With files from Daily Hive Staff.