Elan Valley 'man in wetsuit' case: digitised image released

Dyfed-Powys Police has worked with Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University to produce a realistic image of the man’s face following more than 16 months of enquiries to establish who he is.

The discovery of a man’s body at the Claerwen Reservoir in the Elan Valley, just outside of Rhayader, was reported to police by a walker on October 17, 2024.

The unidentified man was wearing a wetsuit, but there were no other items of clothing, jewellery or modes of transport located in the area, and he had no distinguishable marks such as scars or tattoos.

It was estimated that he had been in the water for up to 12 weeks before being found.

In the months that followed, detectives carried out all possible enquiries to identify the man, with the aim of informing loved ones of his death.

Despite their best efforts, however, the mystery remains unsolved.

“When the discovery was reported to us, we immediately got to work on establishing who this man was,” said Detective Inspector Anthea Ponting, who has led the investigation.

“In the absence of any personal belongings other than the wetsuit he was wearing, no identification documents or vehicles nearby, we began by working with neighbouring police forces to conduct checks for missing or wanted people who had not been traced.

A digitised image of how the man possibly could have looked, together with the wetsuit he was wearing when his body was discovered. (Image: Supplied)

“When this was unsuccessful, we extended our enquiries to contact all UK forces, ran searches through the Police National Database, and issued bulletins to police overseas through Interpol.

“We have also searched DNA, fingerprint and dental records for potential matches, and issued public and media appeals for information.

“Each time we have reached out to the public, we’ve been provided with some lines of enquiry to follow-up on, but unfortunately none have proven to be the key to finding out who this person is.”

DI Anthea Ponting, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “Thanks to Face Lab, we have now been provided with a very clear and detailed estimation of what the man could have looked like." (Image: BBC Crimewatch)

Enquiries so far have allowed the force to issue a written description of the man – who was aged between 30 and 60, around 6ft (1.83m), weighing between 202lbs and 220lbs (91.5kg-99.5kg), and of white, European descent.

Officers have now taken a step further in requesting a facial reconstruction from Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University.

It is hoped that releasing a realistic image might reach someone who can help achieve a breakthrough in the case.

A public portal for information about the man can be found at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/6324A15-PO1