Actor Andrew Koenig, who had been missing since February 14, committed suicide, his father told reporters after his son's

body was found Thursday in a park in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"My son took his own life," Walter Koenig said at a news conference in the park.

The body of the former "Growing Pains" star was found by several friends who conducted their own search of Stanley Park,

where Andrew Koenig liked to walk, his father said.

Koenig, 41, was reported missing by his parents after he did not board a flight to Los Angeles from Vancouver last week.

Walter Koenig -- himself an actor, known for his role as Pavel Chekov in the "Star Trek" series -- flew to Vancouver

with his wife, Judy, on Tuesday to help with the search.

"He was obviously in a lot of pain," Walter Koenig said.

The Koenigs said they received a letter from their son last week in which he wrote in a "despondent tone."

He had stopped taking medication for depression about a year ago, his father said.

Unknown to his parents at the time, Andrew Koenig sold or gave away many of his possessions and moved out of

his apartment in Venice, California, before traveling to Canada, the family said.

Walter Koenig was helping the friends "get another sweep of Stanley Park" Thursday morning and was nearby when

they found his son, he said.

Koenig asked others who may be considering suicide "before you make that final decision, check it out again,

and talk to someone."

"If you're one of those people who can't handle it anymore, you know, if you can learn anything from this, there are

people out there who really care," he said. "You may not think so and ultimately it may not be enough, but there are

people who really care."

Families of those who are troubled should not ignore the warning signs, he said. "Don't ignore it, don't rationalize it," he said.

**This is so true...if you know someone that shows signs of depression please seek help. Before it's too late~**

Usually families of people who suffer from depression don't see the signs. However, some that do choose to ignore.

Hopefully this is an eye opener for many.