Found Deceased NJ - Ajay Sah, 22, Drew University in Madison, International Student from Nepal, 19 Jan 2021

[NCHydrangea]

How’s the traffic on the bridge at that time of morning? If there was steady traffic, I’d think someone would have noticed someone maybe doing something (that I don’t want to mention.

 

[dotr]

Is there a scenario in which this doesn't look like a case of self-harm? Wandering around NYC at night, ending up on a bridge... If he was meeting with someone, he wouldn't be out alone at 5am, five hours after arriving. On the other hand, he could have reached the bridge much earlier. At least we know that the police are taking his disappearance seriously. I hope they are ultimately able to determine whether he ever left that bridge or not.

ETA: I wonder why his new last seen info hasn't been shared on his official missing fb page.

What if AS made an effort (crouching, ect) to not look like he left the bridge, perhaps to leave the impression that he jumped from it?

Could there be any reason that AS would want to disappear, or any reason (political?) that he would be made to "disappear"?
speculation, imo.

 

[indicolite22]

I think the main question is: what was he doing on the bridge at 5am? Sightseeing? Crossing to reach some place on the other side? Are there people who explore NYC at night?

 

[houndpounder]

I don't see any self harm here. He had his backpack he had a plan. Did you ever hear Frank Sinatra's song "I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps"? Well that is NYC. Places are open 24 hours a day. Maybe he left Penn Station went down to the village and hung out with someone he knew at NYU and slept a little. His apology to his mom: he was going to follow his dream instead of hers. When he gets established I bet he contacts her. No one knows what goes on in anyone's family. Maybe he was expected to return to Nepal after he was educated and he wanted to stay in the states.
I can not imagine anyone going back to Nepal to live after getting a taste of the United States of America. I went to Nepal, we had to ride on elephants to get to our lodge. Was it an adventure, yes. However, the reality of everyday living there:
Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Nepal | The Borgen Project

If he was going to end it all and jump off the bridge, he could have just walked a few blocks further west from Penn Station and jumped into the Hudson River. If he walked south on the west side, he would have jumped off the Chelsea piers. Also 4 blocks from 8th Avenue.

No one could have picked him up on the bridge there is a walkway span above the car lanes. You can not even jump into the water from the walkway. The jumpers have to walk up the steel between the cables and jump off the very high top stone part. When he walked across the bridge he ended up in the borough of Brooklyn. NamUs states he was last seen on the bridge. The video footage captured him on the bridge. It does not mean he did not leave the bridge. The walkway cameras may just be set up on the main area walkway or may pan the walkway. I attached a photo. Watch the new decade dawn on the Brooklyn Bridge

 

[indicolite22]

I don't see any self harm here. He had his backpack he had a plan. Did you ever hear Frank Sinatra's song "I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps"? Well that is NYC. Places are open 24 hours a day. Maybe he left Penn Station went down to the village and hung out with someone he knew at NYU and slept a little. His apology to his mom: he was going to follow his dream instead of hers. When he gets established I bet he contacts her. No one knows what goes on in anyone's family. Maybe he was expected to return to Nepal after he was educated and he wanted to stay in the states.
I can not imagine anyone going back to Nepal to live after getting a taste of the United States of America. I went to Nepal, we had to ride on elephants to get to our lodge. Was it an adventure, yes. However, the reality of everyday living there:
Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Nepal | The Borgen Project

If he was going to end it all and jump off the bridge, he could have just walked a few blocks further west from Penn Station and jumped into the Hudson River. If he walked south on the west side, he would have jumped off the Chelsea piers. Also 4 blocks from 8th Avenue.

No one could have picked him up on the bridge there is a walkway span above the car lanes. You can not even jump into the water from the walkway. The jumpers have to walk up the steel between the cables and jump off the very high top stone part. When he walked across the bridge he ended up in the borough of Brooklyn. He was probably just missed on the camera, I attached a photo. Watch the new decade dawn on the Brooklyn Bridge

I can see a possibility of him walking into a new life, but also symbolism in choosing the Brooklyn Bridge to end it.

 

[houndpounder]

I can see a possibility of him walking into a new life, but also symbolism in choosing the Brooklyn Bridge to end it.

Why would he need his back pack if he was ending his life? You can not jump off the Brooklyn Bridge unless you go to the top where the flag is or from the steep pipes and cables. If that was the case it would have been all over the media with helicopters, plenty of people would have spotted him trying to get up there, even at 5AM and reported it. The bridge is surrounded by apartment buildings that residences would call the police immediately. There are also police that patrol the bridge as all the bridges here after 9/11. I attached a clear photo as to how that walkway works, in my last post. You can not jump into the water from the walkway. To the right and left of the walkway are lanes of traffic crossing the bridge. Directly under the walkway is the train, the subway comes out of the group and up over the bridge into Brooklyn. And no he could not have gotten on the train from the bridge either. There are no stops. If he was going to jump from the bridge it is not an easy task, people are spotted immediately on the cables and are talked down.

 

[indicolite22]

Why would he need his back pack if he was ending his life? You can not jump off the Brooklyn Bridge unless you go to the top where the flag is. If that was the case it would have been all over the media with helicopters, plenty of people would have spotted him trying to get up there, even at 5AM and reported it. There are also police that patrol the bridge as all the bridges here after 9/11. I attached a clear photo as to how that walkway works, in my last post. You can not jump into the water from the walkway. To the right and left of the walkway are lanes of traffic crossing the bridge. Directly under the walkway is the train, the subway comes out of the group and up over the bridge into Brooklyn. And no he could not have gotten on the train from the bridge either. There are no stops.

According to the article below, suicide attempts weren't rare on the Brooklyn Bridge:

''Depressed people will drive 20 miles, bypassing the Manhattan and the Williamsburg, just to get to the Brooklyn Bridge,'' said Gary Gorman, who helped rescue 35 potential suicides in his 12 years with the Emergency Services Unit of the New York Police Department.

NEIGHBORHOOD REPORT: BROOKLYN BRIDGE; A Stately Span, a Fatal Lure (Published 2003)

How much has changed since then?

 

[houndpounder]

"said Gary Gorman, who helped rescue 35 potential suicides" Rescued 35 potential suicides' because they are spotted.
Brooklyn Bridge (Brown Bridge) surrounded by buildings with glass and crossings, even at 5 am. DO you notice how close the land is on either side, point being in the case he may have jumped which I don't believe he did, he would have washed up already, it's been over a month. LIVE NOW! Brooklyn Bridge Cam

 

[indicolite22]

"said Gary Gorman, who helped rescue 35 potential suicides" Rescued 35 potential suicides' because they are spotted.
Brooklyn Bridge (Brown Bridge) surrounded by buildings with glass and crossings, even at 5 am. DO you notice how close the land is on either side, point being in the case he may have jumped which I don't believe he did, he would have washed up already, it's been over a month. LIVE NOW! Brooklyn Bridge Cam

He didn't rescue all the jumpers. At 5am there might not have been many people on the bridge. Good point about Ajay being found by now if he jumped. I wonder what past statistics are on that. On the other hand, if he managed to cross the bridge, he had to be on camera IMO.

 

[indicolite22]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed> We don't know that he didn't jump. It's been said that he was last seen on (not off) the bridge. If he's just an adult minding his own business, why was he traced beyond Penn Station?

 

[houndpounder]

BBM. We don't know that he didn't jump. It's been said that he was last seen on (not off) the bridge. If he's just an adult minding his own business, why was he traced beyond Penn Station?

To either rule out or rule in foul play. We also do not know that he didn't walk off the bridge either, it may not be captured on camera. It seems he left of his own volition.

 

[Sleuth2u]

The NamUs info is confusing— it says he was seen on camera on the “Brooklyn/Manhattan bridge.” So which bridge... the Brooklyn Bridge or the Manhattan Bridge? (Edited to add for anyone unfamiliar- they are two separate bridges)

 

[Rick_hadlee]

I don't see any self harm here. He had his backpack he had a plan. Did you ever hear Frank Sinatra's song "I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps"? Well that is NYC. Places are open 24 hours a day. Maybe he left Penn Station went down to the village and hung out with someone he knew at NYU and slept a little. His apology to his mom: he was going to follow his dream instead of hers. When he gets established I bet he contacts her. No one knows what goes on in anyone's family. Maybe he was expected to return to Nepal after he was educated and he wanted to stay in the states.
I can not imagine anyone going back to Nepal to live after getting a taste of the United States of America. I went to Nepal, we had to ride on elephants to get to our lodge. Was it an adventure, yes. However, the reality of everyday living there:
Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Nepal | The Borgen Project

If he was going to end it all and jump off the bridge, he could have just walked a few blocks further west from Penn Station and jumped into the Hudson River. If he walked south on the west side, he would have jumped off the Chelsea piers. Also 4 blocks from 8th Avenue.

No one could have picked him up on the bridge there is a walkway span above the car lanes. You can not even jump into the water from the walkway. The jumpers have to walk up the steel between the cables and jump off the very high top stone part. When he walked across the bridge he ended up in the borough of Brooklyn. NamUs states he was last seen on the bridge. The video footage captured him on the bridge. It does not mean he did not leave the bridge. The walkway cameras may just be set up on the main area walkway or may pan the walkway. I attached a photo. Watch the new decade dawn on the Brooklyn Bridge

I agree. Suicide appears very unlikely. Accident is also unlikely as he would have been found out by now. It does not seem like he was starting some kind of new life as that would require more than just a backpack. Some sort of foul play is the most likely scenario.

 

[indicolite22]

Two details make me think that his disappearance was planned: leaving late at night and not telling anyone about his plans. If he was meeting with someone in NYC, he would not be out there alone many hours after arriving. (IMO)

 

[indicolite22]

It would be interesting to know when (and where) his phone last pinged. It could be indicative of premeditation. If he was meeting someone, wouldn't he be using the phone to communicate or at least keep it on?

 

[Panhypopit]

Walking the Manhattan Bridge - A Complete Guide
I used to work in Brooklyn and work had a program to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge for t shirts and stuff. The Manhattan bridge is north of that bridge.
So odd he went from NJ all the way over to walk across...

 

[houndpounder]

Both Bridges connect Manhattan to Brooklyn. They should have been more specific. Now I am thinking they meant the Manhattan Bridge. (also has a walkway)

 

[dotr]

Nepali Student Ajay Sah Goes Missing In New York For 12th Consecutive Day, Search Continues - Nepal24Hours.com - 'Integration Through Media'
Jan 30 2021 rbbm.
''Sah was 22 and used to live near the university in Madison. Sah’s brother Shiva Sah, who used to live in Texas, flew to New York to find out his brother, but ended up finding a note on a table in Ajay’s residence.

“I love you mummy,” Ajay said in his final note before he went missing.''

''Ajay used to talk with his mother back in Nepal everyday. With an ancestral home in Siraha district of Province 2, Ajay’s family had then moved to Kirtipur in Kathmandu.

Ajay’s brother Shiva found a second note in a trash bin, in which Ajay said “it was time for him to do something.”

''Ajay’s google search result in his computer showed that he searched for Fort Washington Park and even looked for an exact location of the park, which is located in upper Manhattan in New York City by the side of Hudson River.

In his several posts in social media, Ajay’s brother Shiva, along with some Nepali social workers, have urged all to help find the whereabouts of Ajay, whose missing incident has already been reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).''

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Can you locals please comment about the Manhattan Bridge? (I was glad to read it isn't easy to climb the Brooklyn Bridge unseen. That must deter some people.) Hopefully this bridge discussion is moot, though.

 

[scriabina]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

Do you know Ajay? If so please consider becoming a Verified Insider. You seem really adamant about him not committing suicide to the point of almost shutting down other posters' comments speculating Ajay may have done so.

I certainly hope he is alive and healthy, but to me, writing "It's time for me to do something" does not rule out suicide. Moreover, the fact that he left a note "I love you mummy" seems to indicate he wasn't planning to communicate with her for an extended period (or for an eternity) and that he had a plan that he hadn't shared with any of his close friends or family. If he just wanted to start a new life, why not at least graduate from college first? Having abandoned college and his RA position, he will lose his funding/scholarships and his student visa and will not be in the country legally anymore. How does he plan to support himself and "do something" if he can't even get a job legally in the US? Seems to me only someone very distressed would take off in this manner.