*** For Immediate Release ***

Charity behind ‘The Missing’ podcast are looking to uncover new evidence from a body found in 1994 

[September, 2022] Locate International, a charity that lends specialist assistance in searches for long-term missing and unidentified people, are appealing to the Bristol community for new information about the ‘North Sea Man’, whose body was found off the north coast of Germany in 1994.

The charity believes that the newly discovered facts could trigger fresh information, in hopes of an eventual identification of the 6’2” – 6’5.5” (187 – 197cm) man.

‘The North Sea Man’, estimated to have been born in the 1940’s, was between 45-50 at the time of his death. The body was found to have been weighed down by two iron ‘cobblers feet’ in July 1994, after suffering a catastrophic blow to the side of the head and rib cage.

The link to Bristol is through the brand of shoes. These were relatively expensive shoes, made for the English shoe manufacturer Church & Co Ltd. The shoes had been re-soled with Phillips soles and had replacement heels manufactured by Dinkie Heel PLC, Bristol with the inscription I.T.S. Jubilee and a stylized crown.

In addition, he was weighed down by two iron ‘cobblers feet’ tied to the belt of his trousers. The two iron cobblers feet are not identical, but both weigh 3kg and are stamped with manufacturers name AJK (a manufacturer in Bristol). 

The company existed from the late 19th century to the mid-1960s. Around 1964/65 Jackson was taken over by the Cheaney’s company (address: Nelson Street, Kettering, UK), but these have since gone out of business. The lasts possibly date from the 1920s or 1930s.

‘Cobblers feet’ are used by a cobbler for mending shoes, however it could have also been used in large manufacturing when help with mending was required. It would have been attached to an iron stem, which was usually attached to a bench. The shoe or boot sits on the iron last. The sole is uppermost during repair or when driving nails / rivets into the sole. As the nails are driven through, they hit the iron foot and the points are turned over and clenched on the insole. They are an essential piece of cobblers/maker’s kit.

Dave Grimstead, CEO of Locate International commented:

“At this point in time there are seemingly lots of disparate threads linking this unique case to many countries and cities around the world. We want to try and jog the memory of anyone who might know something or have even the smallest bit of information, no matter how insignificant it may seem. If we can give this person a name, we can notify any family and friends that may be wondering what became of him and offer them some peace of mind. With just one person’s help, we may be able to find answers to the mystery of what happened to this unfortunate man after nearly three decades.”

Locate International are renewing their appeal and are looking to leverage the community of Bristol – either present or past – to help spread awareness of one of the most intriguing cases in years.

About Locate International 

Locate International is a Registered UK Charity No.1197991 and is built of specialist teams from different disciplines and volunteers from local communities. Over the last three years, we have built a solid foundation through creating collaborative opportunities with universities, experts with academic research, and exploration into cold cases with direct access to specialists around the world. Our mission is to locate the missing and name the unidentified, and our vision is that every missing and unidentified person receives the highest quality investigation.