An inquest has been unable to determine how a 33‑year‑old man came to be found dead in the Cardiff Bay barrage after he was reported missing from his Cardiff hotel.
Pontypridd Coroner’s Court heard that Amanuel Kessete, originally from Eritrea in east Africa, had been living at the Etap hotel in Tyndall Street, central Cardiff, before his disappearance in June 2025.
He was last seen at the hotel on June 8 and was reported missing in the days that followed. A week later, on June 15, his body was discovered floating in the water at the Cardiff Bay barrage by a passer‑by and he was declared dead at the scene.
Area coroner Patricia Morgan recorded the medical cause of death as “unascertained” and returned an open conclusion.
The inquest was told Mr Kessete had a history of mental health issues and psychosis and had been under the care of mental health services in recent years. Because his body was found in a significant state of decomposition, the coroner said it was not possible to establish how he died.
The record of inquest notes that Mr Kessete, born in Eritrea in May 1992, had usually been resident at the Etap hotel at the time of his death.
With no clear evidence to show whether his death was accidental, deliberate or involved third‑party actions, the coroner concluded that the precise circumstances of how he came by his death could not be determined.
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