27.01.2026 15:05
The identity of the body found in a diving suit on January 24 at Başiskele Beach in Kocaeli has been revealed. It was determined that the lifeless body belongs to Dumitru Stoica, a Romanian citizen who was reported missing in December of last year in Istanbul.
On January 24, fishermen who set out to sea by boat off Liman Street in the Körfez neighborhood of Başiskele, Kocaeli, reported to the 112 Emergency Call Center upon seeing a person in diving gear lying motionless on the water. Following the report, police, coast guard, and medical teams were dispatched to the area. The person, who was pulled from the water by the coast guard and taken onto a boat, was determined to be male and had passed away. The body, brought to the shore, was sent to the morgue of the Forensic Medicine Institution for an autopsy after the work of the crime scene investigation teams.
THE BODY TURNED OUT TO BELONG TO A MISSING ROMANIAN
In the examination, it was determined that the body belonged to Dumitru Stoica (32), a Romanian citizen. It was established that Stoica had been missing since December 13, 2025, and was being searched for under a missing person report filed from Istanbul. It was noted that Stoica's family came to Kocaeli for identification and provided a DNA sample for comparison. It is believed that Stoica may have suffered from decompression sickness after diving, and the exact cause of death will be clarified with the autopsy reports from the Forensic Medicine Institution.
GIRLFRIEND'S STATEMENT
On the other hand, in her statement, the girlfriend mentioned that Stoica came to Turkey for work, indicated that he was safe upon arriving in Turkey, but said she had not heard from him a few days later.