The search for fashion designer James "Jay" Ott, who went missing in late March, has come to an end after his body was found in the New York Bay on Thursday.
The New York Police Department confirmed the death, but emergency medical responders did not comment on the cause, as the investigation is still ongoing,
PIX 11 reported.
In April, Ott's family members and friends posted missing person flyers throughout subways and bus stations in multiple boroughs in one of the most prominent campaigns of its type in recent memory. Many concerned citizens subsequently shared the posters on social media channels, and local TV news stations also covered the search.
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According to New York magazine, the 31-year-old Ott was at the beginning of a promising career in fashion. Ott worked at Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s fashion label, as a design director at Dock Group for Crippen and Rosetta Getty, and had previously worked at The Row and J. Mendel, and interned at Ralph Rucci.
"Jay loved his job; he loved the people he worked with," Ott’s father told reporters. "We spoke on Saturday about a meeting he was really looking forward to on Monday."
"He's never done anything like this before. He never disappears. He always calls," said co-worker Beatrice Kim at the beginning of the search.
Ott was last seen in the early morning hours of March 23. He left his Bushwick apartment at 4:35 a.m., and walked across the Williamsburg Bridge at 5:02 a.m. before disappearing.
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