A North Vancouver man reported missing in Colombia has been found dead.
Ramazan “Ramo” Gencay’s family last heard from him on Dec. 6 He was in Medellin to attend a seminar.
His wife Carole confirmed his body has since been recovered.
“We were called that a body was found on early Christmas morning and it was confirmed the next day that it was him. It was confirmed with dental records,” she said. “It’s obvious that he came to an untoward ending.”
Carole said she was still waiting for an official account from Colombian authorities as to what happened and would not speculate, although she added, some reports about his death appearing in the media are inaccurate.
Global Affairs Canada has since released a statement in response to Gencay’s death.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of a Canadian citizen who died in Colombia. Consular services are being provided to the family in Canada. Canadian consular officials are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information,” it read.
Gencay, 57, was a dual citizen of Canada and Turkey, an avid trail runner and dancer, and taught economics at Simon Fraser University.
In a statement shared with staff, university president Andrew Petter said he will be deeply missed and that his heart goes out to Gencay's family, friends, students and colleagues.
"I know how distressing this news is for the SFU community, and I wish to reassure everyone that we will continue to do everything we can to support Ramo's family at this sad and difficult time," he said.
- With files from Canadian Press
