A man reported missing following an apparent shark attack near Point Reyes National Seashore in California has been identified as a tech CEO by his friends. Felix Louis N’jai, 52, also an avid kite surfer, was remembered by his loved ones as someone who “brought pure joy, love, and light everywhere he went,” according to statements given to local Fox affiliate KTVU.
According to his friends, N’jai was in the water at Wildcat Beach as part of a wedding celebration when the tragedy struck. Jim Keenan, in an interview with NBC Bay Area, recounted that a shark “supposedly” grabbed N’jai by the neck and pulled him underwater while his friends and the groom “rushed out of the water.”
Who is N’jai?
N’jai, as per his LinkedIn profile, is the CEO of tech incubator Eniac Labs. He came to the U.S. to study computer engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He enjoyed kite surfing in both San Francisco and Oregon during the summer. Notably, N’jai was training to represent Gambia in the Paris 2024 Olympics, as per People.
In the memory of N’jai, a close friend of his told KTVU that “Felix was everything to every one of his friends.” While speaking to the Chronicle, his friend Steve Bodner added, “We’re all trying to emulate a little more Felix into our life — be a little bit more compassionate and loving toward people. Oftentimes, I wanted to give up and I saw Felix and continued to do it and he was a real mentor.”
Is N’jai the missing swimmer?
It is not officially confirmed by the police if N’jai is the swimmer who went missing on October 1, 2023. Moreover, the search for the missing swimmer has not been halted. However, it has been reported by KTVU that the National Park Service reduced its search efforts on Thursday.
Over the weekend, NPRS, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Marin County Fire Department launched a search and rescue mission for the missing man, as reported by The Mercury News.
The two swimmers who were with the man told the first responders that they were around 25 to 50 yards from the shore when he disappeared beneath the water, according to CBS affiliate KPIX-TV. They also mentioned that they saw a large amount of blood in the water, as reported by the same source.
Taking note of this, authorities have advised people to avoid swimming in the rough waters off the coast of Marin County.