Human remains of 2 different men washed up on Texel

That’s what the police told NH. In recent weeks, forensic experts have successfully extracted hereditary material (DNA) from the washed-up bones.

The human remains were found by people on the west coast of Texel. First, a beachcomber saw a lower body in the surf on Friday, October 6. The man had several pairs of pants on and in his pocket was a telephone with a French SIM card.

Later that weekend, a beachgoer with her dog found a shoe a little further north with another foot in it.

According to the police, research into the DNA from those bones now shows that the body parts belong to two different men. The genetic material was compared in a database by forensic researchers with other missing people, but no match was found.

An isotope study is now being started at the Dutch Forensic Institute: analysis of material in the bones could reveal something about the region of residence of the washed-up victims.

“This can be done by looking at the mineral composition in the cells of such a person. You can see which drinking water he has always consumed and that can lead to a specific river basin,” says Erwin Sintenie of the North Holland police.

And that catchment area leads to a certain place and so this can provide information about the living environment of the men. “So it doesn’t have to do with your mom and dad coming from somewhere, but really with what that person has taken.”

Boat people

The suspicion that these are people who drowned in the canal between France and England remains unchanged with these results. Many refugees with roots elsewhere try to cross there in rubber boats.

That sometimes goes wrong. In August, for example, six Afghans died in a boat disaster. Aid organizations report that several people are still missing.

The current could cause those bodies to end up in Dutch waters. This has also happened many times in recent months backpacks and shoes of boat people.

There is once before a dead refugee washed up on Texel. In October 2014, Syrian Mouaz al-Balkhi attempted to swim across the Channel with a comrade.

They drowned. The body of his friend washed up in Norway and Al Balkhi ended up on the North Holland Wadden Island with his wetsuit. Thanks to two Norwegian journalists, his identity was finally revealed. He is buried on Texel.

‘Died on the way to England’ is written on the grave in Den Burg. And a little further away are also the human remains that recently washed up on Texel. There is no sign yet with a name or date of death.

The new isotope research may provide clarity about the region where the washed-up men come from. Based on this, DNA can then be compared with databases there.

NH did for the podcast The Egmond refugee boat investigation into the situation on the canal between France and England. It all started when a green rubber boat washed up on the beach of Egmond aan Zee in October last year.

There were still all kinds of personal items on there, such as photos of a boy with black hair and a man. In the six-part series, journalist Maaike Polder searches for the story and the people behind the items. She travels to France and eventually to England. The six episodes can be listened to in full since this week: