Mystery as unknown man washes up dead on beach

A mystery man who was found washed up naked on a remote British island is still unidentified despite international searches, an inquest has heard.

The unknown man, who is believed to be white and aged between 50 and 60, was spotted on Roa Island, near Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, on April 30 last year.

He was discovered naked and described as clean shaven with thinning grey hair, with no distinguishing marks or tattoos.

Cumbria Police said it was not treating his death as suspicious, but they have been unable to identity who the man is and he had no documents on him.

DNA samples, fingerprints and dental impressions were obtained from his body and there was a check to see if he had any metalwork in his body, but none were present.

Several missing databases from countries such as the UK, Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Belgium, were checked, but no matches were found.

Police also liaised with officials in Ireland but no matches were found, an inquest at Cockermouth Coroners Court heard.

In a statement, detective inspector Laura Nield told the inquest that she attended the scene and conducted a search of the body in a nearby boathouse.

She said the man was initially found face down in the sand and wasn’t swollen, so she surmised that he “had not been in the water for a long time.”

But he did have abrasions to his chest and back, which were thought to be caused by contact with the seabed.

DI Nield said that her initial hypothesis was that he had taken his own life but assistant coroner Robert Cohen, said there’s “no evidential basis” for this theory.

She added that a forensic artist’s reproduction of the man’s face was used to appeal for information, and the release was shared over a million times on Facebook.

A number of names were given as possible identities, but they were all discounted due to the man’s description.

A toxicology report showed no findings and a post-mortem examination showed all physical and histological signs are ‘fully consistent’ with death by drowning.

It was then agreed that due to the ‘considerable’ length of time since his body was discovered and the condition of it, that a burial should take place.

The case will remain with the Cumbria Police until the man can be identified and DNA and dental records will remain on file.

Mr Cohen said: “In essence, it is a sad situation that somebody has died, and despite the exhaustive attempts by Cumbria Constabulary, it has nor been possible to identify who they are.

“All we really know is that they were a white male between 50 and 60.

“They didn’t have any significant marks, their DNA is not on police systems, nor on the systems of a very large number of countries.

“Significantly, public enquiries have not revealed who they were, and that is very sad, and it is a matter of some sorrow that it has not been possible to identify wo this man was.”

Mr Cohen recorded an open conclusion, and stated that the inquest can be re-listed if further information becomes available.