Body found floating in East River ID’d as cabbie who killed himself

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Kenny Chow, a taxi driver who went missing May 11, 2018, was battling depression and was struggling to pay off a $700,000 medallion loan. (Provided)

A floating body found in the East River earlier this week was identified as Kenny Chow, a despondent cabbie who went missing earlier this month, family members confirmed Saturday.

Chow, 56, was last seen May 11 in his yellow cab on E. 86th St. and East End Ave. He was battling depression and was struggling to pay off a $700,000 medallion loan when he disappeared.

For weeks, Chow's family feared the worst when they couldn't find the man, whose wife was also battling stage 4 cancer, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance said.

Police found the decomposed body near the Brooklyn Bridge. (Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News)

On Wednesday morning, police discovered a decomposed body that had washed up near the Brooklyn Bridge. The city medical examiner's office confirmed it was Chow.

"We are in mourning ... My brother lost hope as many other medallion owners looking for justice and fairness have," said brother Richard Chow. He urged the city to do more to combat mental health issues among taxi drivers.

Richard Chow holds a missing poster for his brother Kenny Chow, who went missing on May 11, 2018. (Dan Rivoli/New York Daily News)

Chow's death is the fifth taxi driver to commit suicide since December.