Italian man found dead in river behind Amsterdam central station

A 53-year-old Italian man was found dead in the river behind Amsterdam Central Station, at the ferry landing stages on IJplein, on February 15. Investigators are trying to figure out what happened to the man. The police released a photo of him in the hope that someone could provide information.

The man arrived in Amsterdam on Monday, February 12. He traveled from Germany to the Netherlands on the ICE train and got off at platform 11A at Amsterdam Central Station at 10:54 p.m. that day. Camera footage shows the man leaving the station on the IJ side at 11:07 p.m. and walking toward the IJveer ferry, but it is unclear if he actually took the ferry.

From that moment on, there was no trace of him until his body was found three days later. The police don’t think he fell into the water immediately after leaving the station. He wasn’t wearing the same pants as he arrived in Amsterdam in, and the backpack he was carrying is missing.

The police are looking for anyone who might have seen the man after 11:07 p.m. on Monday, February 12, and before his body was found at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 15.

The man was approximately 1.6 meters tall with a slim build, white skin color, and dark, short-cut hair. When he arrived in Amsterdam, he was wearing a shiny black jacket with a hood, gray jeans, black Nike Air Huarache, and a dark-colored backpack. When his body was found in the water, he was wearing black sweatpants, a yellow polo shirt, a black bag with white Nike letters, and the same jacket and shoes.

“Detectives can't yet rule out a crime. For this reason, the investigation team would like to get in touch with witnesses who may have seen the man or have other information that may be important,” the police said.