Shocking cause of death revealed for loving father, 60, who vanished from Hilton Head vacation rental

A Boston man who went missing on his family vacation while suffering insomnia died by suicide, authorities have confirmed. 

Stanley Kotowski, 60, was last seen leaving the South Carolina condo without his shoes and phone at around 10.30am on August 16. His body was found ten days later underneath townhomes at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island.

County Coroner David Ott told a press conference today that Kotowski died by hanging and ruled the incident a suicide. 

His wife Jackie, 59, previously revealed he was increasingly sleep deprived and struggling with anxiety.

Sheriff P.J. Tanner stressed today that the situation was 'very unusual.'

Stanley Kotowski, 60, had been found dead near his family's vacation property after he vanished while on a trip to the ritzy Hilton Head Island in South Carolina 

During a press conference today, County Coroner David Ott revealed that the father died due to asphyxiation by hanging and ruled the incident as a suicide

'To even consider that being an entry point for the crawlspace is something you would probably overlook,' Tanner said.

He also told reporters that 'there was an apparatus used to reduce the amount of oxygen you could actually take in' when asked if his death was an accident or intentional.  

The day the father went missing, Jackie said that her husband told her: 'Promise me you will go on without me'. 

'He just walked out the door,' she previously told Boston 25 News, adding that she was already concerned about his mental state before he disappeared

'He had really bad insomnia for about a month,' she said. 'This is a brand new thing. He doesn't have dementia.  

But, Jackie said, 'his anxiety just kept getting worse and worse, and he started to get a little paranoid. He thought someone was chasing him.'

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office eventually grew their search efforts to include helicopters, boats, drones and canines. 

His wife, Jackie, said she was already concerned about his mental state before he went missing

The loving father pictured here with his wife, Jackie and son, Zak

Officials had searching wood lines and unoccupied buildings and placed Kotowski's information on a national database for missing persons, as they increased their presence throughout the island.

His son Zak, had previously revealed that it was possible his father could be anywhere in the area while he was missing. 

'He's a strong person,' Zak said. 'He's athletic. He could, even in a delirious state, shoeless, he could get a few towns over, especially in 72 hours.'

He was ultimately found by a security officer with the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island who contacted the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office after he noticed a foul odor and flies near one of the buildings.