News comes in as Hertfordshire Police seek the publics help to identify a man found in the River Stort near Bishop’s Stortford at about 11:45am on 23 March 2025.
The River Stort Man was in his mid 20s, 5ft 9in to 5ft 11in tall, of medium build and had facial hair on his chin.
He was wearing a black Adidas hoodie, dark grey Nike Air tracksuit bottoms and black Adidas trainers.
The Bishop’s Stortford reports that “Bishop’s Stortford Canoe Club members Oliver Klumpler, 15, and his K2 partner Jamie Winstanley, 14, were taking part in a regular Sunday morning training session when they made their grim discovery”
It is said the pair were heading along a stretch of water between the club’s headquarters in Stylemans Lane and Rushy Mead nature reserve. The pair though at first the body of the unidentified male was a mannequin in a spot called “the Winding Hole”.
After heading back to the clubhouse and report their findings the pair returned with Oliver’s sister Emilie, mum Flora and her friend to take a closer look. The team decided to return back with a more stable boat and once they got closer, as Jamie grabbed the hood, they realised it was not a mannequin.
Oliver said: “I think we all realised at the same time. I had a hunch. I just thought that doesn’t really look like a mannequin.”
So the team sought help from another adult member of the club who was a former police officer, who helped assist in checking if the teams fears were true.
Det Sgt Thomas Nash, from the East Herts local crime unit, said on Monday (April 7): “This is a very sad case because we still don’t know who this man is or what his story was. There is no suggestion there was any third-party involvement in his death.”
Det Sgt Nash said: “We believe his body may have been in the undergrowth in the river for a considerable period of time.
“Our main priority is to trace this man’s family so they can lay him to rest. Therefore, we have now taken the step of releasing an image of one of the items of clothing that he was wearing to see if anyone recognises it, as the pattern on the front is quite distinctive.
“If you think you may have any information that could assist us in our investigation, please get in touch.”
You can email DS Nash at thomas.nash@herts.police.uk
Report information online at herts.police.uk/report
call non-emergency number 101 or crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
**This article is currently being updated/More to follow**
Pre-mortem Injuries:
Post-mortem Injuries:
Case number:
Type: Body
Gender: Male
Age range: mid 20s
Ethnicity:
Height: 5ft 9in to 5ft 11in
Build: Medium
Date found: 23 March 2025
Circumstances: man found in the River Stort near Bishop’s Stortford at about 11:45am on 23 March 2025
Cause of Death:
Possessions:
Town: Bishop’s Stortford
Locality: the Winding Hole
County: Hertfordshire
Police force: Hertfordshire Police
Hair type: Unknown
Hair colour: Unknown
Facial Hair: on chin
Eye colour (left): Unknown
Eye colour (right): Unknown
Case information:
Distinguishing features:
Clothing:
- Black Adidas hoodie
- Dark grey Nike Air tracksuit bottoms
- Black Adidas trainers
Jewellery: none reported
Body Parts: No information available
Bone Details: No information available
DNA: No information available
Dentals: No information available
Fingerprints: No information available
Toxicology: No information available
Maps:
Previous reports
Bishop’s Stortford “Body in River Stort: Police release details of man’s clothing as they seek to identify him“
Planet Unidentified 
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