Police say enquiries are still ongoing following the discovery of a body in a remote mid Wales reservoir last year.

At around 8.30 am on the morning of Friday, 18 October last year, police received a call informing them that a body had been found in the Claerwen Reservoir, some 10 miles from the Elan Valley visitor centre in Rhayader, deep in the Cambrian Mountains.

An investigation was launched in a bid to identify the man, who may have been in the water for up to 12 weeks, a post mortem revealed, but almost a year on, his identity remains a mystery.

This means that the man may have visited the area in early July 2024.

Officers in October and again in February this year issued an appeal for anyone who may have been in the remote area, to the east of Ffair Rhos from early July to October to get in touch with any information.

Search teams combed the barren marshland on foot near to where he was found while a helicopter and drones searched for any clues on how and why he got there.

Investigators have asked UK police forces to check their missing people registers and have spoken to Interpol because the area can be popular with tourists.

Despite forensic tests, extensive inquiries and searches and appeals for information, detectives still have not solved the mystery of the man in the wetsuit.

Speaking in February, Detective Inspector Anthea Ponting, Senior Investigating Officer at Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “I would like to thank everyone who has already came forward with information following our previous appeals.

“A post-mortem has confirmed that the body is a man, aged between 30 and 60 years old. He is approximately 6ft tall and was wearing a Zone 3 Agile wetsuit, similar to the one pictured.”

The size of the wetsuit is XL, which equates to the wearer possibly being 6ft-6ft5” tall, about 202-220lbs with a 44–48-inch chest.

DI Ponting added: “We have carried out numerous enquiries, including checking missing people records with other forces and conducting forensic enquiries both locally and wider in conjunction with Law Enforcement Partners.

“Unfortunately, these have not led to the man being identified.”

“We are keeping an open mind into the circumstances and continue to work towards finding out who he was, any family and what happened to him.

“We would still like to hear from anyone who has visited the Claerwen reservoir, or the surrounding area, between the beginning of July 2024 and the 18 October, and haven’t spoken to police yet.

“We also continue to appeal for anyone who does have information – who thinks that something mentioned could relate to a missing person in their own life/or who they may know – to come forward.”

When asked if there was any update on the investigation by the Cambrian News this week, a spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “ There is no further update – enquiries are still ongoing.”

Anyone with information which could help the investigation is asked to contact police on 101.