Bristol River Avon mystery: unidentified man found in 1981

A charity has released a striking image of a man whose body was found in the River Avon 45 years ago, hoping a distinctive medallion commemorating a royal marriage will finally reveal his identity.

A haunting new image has brought fresh hope of solving a 45-year-old mystery after a man was found dead in a Bristol river carrying an unusual royal medallion.

A forensic reconstruction shows how the unidentified man found dead in Bristol's River Avon in 1981 may have looked when he was alive. | Hew Morrison / SWNS

placeholder image — A forensic reconstruction shows how the unidentified man found dead in Bristol's River Avon in 1981 may have looked when he was alive. | Hew Morrison / SWNS

The unidentified man was discovered by a canoeist in the River Avon on October 14, 1981, near the former British Steel Tar Works on Crews Hole Road, St George. Despite police appeals and media coverage over the decades, nobody has been able to put a name to him.

Now, Locate International, a charity dedicated to identifying missing people and unidentified remains, has released a forensic reconstruction showing what the man may have looked like alive. Artist Hew Morrison created the depiction using the information available to investigators.

The man was believed to be aged between 45 and 60, around 5ft 8in tall and of a large build. He had brown, receding hair, blue eyes and a scar on his abdomen. When discovered, he was wearing a brown duffel overcoat, a V-neck jumper, grey and black checked trousers, a buttoned cotton undergarment and size 11 lace-up boots.

The distinctive bronze-coloured medallion found with the man featured the inscription commemorating the 1874 marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh and Grand Duchess Marie of Russia. | SWNS

But one item could prove crucial to cracking the case: a distinctive bronze-coloured medallion hanging from a 24-inch chain. The pendant featured male and female heads alongside the inscription: "Duke of Edinburgh and Grand Duchess Marie of Russia Married 1874". Although commemorative medals of this kind are not particularly rare, the charity believes someone may remember the unusual piece of jewellery — and the man who wore it.

A distinctive bronze-coloured medallion was found hanging from a 24-inch chain | SWNS

Locate International chief executive Mark Greenhalgh said the passage of time was making the search increasingly urgent. He urged anyone who lived in Bristol during the early 1980s to ask older relatives and acquaintances whether they recognised the man. If he had survived, he would now be at least 90 years old.

The appeal follows another attempt to solve a separate River Avon mystery involving a man who fell from Clifton Suspension Bridge in 1996. He was carrying a red penny whistle and a paperback titled The Greatest Batman Stories. Locate International says its 208 active volunteers helped identify 30 of the 90 missing-person cases they reviewed last year. The charity believes even one small clue could unlock answers for both families and investigators.

Anyone with information can contact Locate International at [email protected], call 0300 102 1011 or visit its website.