The Norfolk Hero: Who was George Johnstone from the C4 documentary The Body Detectives?
A HERO who disappeared after jumping into the sea to save a family has his case reopened and the investigation features in a new Channel 4 documentary.
A new series called, The Body Detectives, follows former detective and Locate International’s Dave Grimstead as he investigates cases of unidentified bodies across the UK.
Who was George Johnstone?
George Johnstone has been a missing person for almost 40 years after he vanished off the Norfolk coast.
He is considered a hero by his family and friends after he jumped in the sea to save the lives of two people.
It was after this brave altruistic act, at the age of 26, that George Johnstone disappeared at sea.
George was from Baldock, Hertfordshire and was a father to daughter, Lucy, who was just two-years-old when he went missing at sea.
There are over 1,000 people in the UK alone who like George who have disappeared without a trace.
George’s daughter Lucy has never given up trying to find out what happened.
George’s family turned to ex-detective Dave Grimstead and a team of experts to find the hero’s final resting place.
However, the investigation is said to have turned in “unexpected directions”.
With the help of pathologists, a forensic oceanographer and an expert in facial reconstruction, the former detective hopes to deliver the answers George’s family desperately wants.
The investigation includes graphic footage of an autopsy after a body is exhumed from a grave and examined.
The charity, Locate International, was set up by Dave five years ago and they aim to investigate every cold case in the UK.
The investigation around the disappearance of George Johnstone was reopened and now features on the first episode of Channel 4, The Body Detectives on Tuesday 23 at 9pm.
What happened to George Johnstone?
On August 30 1984, George Johnstone went missing off the Norfolk coast.
The family were on holiday and George had decided to visit the beach of Hopton-on-sea on a particularly windy day.
George’s brother-in-law, Barry Trussell, was told by a witness that he was last seen jumping into the sea to help save the lives of two people.
Barry Trussell and his daughter Lucy have never given up trying to find him.
How can I watch The Body Detectives?
The first episode will look at the disappearance of George Johnstone.
The Body Detectives aired the first episode on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
Episode two which airs on Tuesday, July 20, will investigate the death of an unidentified man found in a London street in 1994.
The following week ex-detective Dave Grimstead calls on a network of forensic experts, to try to solve the unexplained case of The North Sea man.
You can watch The Body Detectives on Channel 4, Tuesdays, at 9pm.
You can also stream episodes using the My4 app.
The Body Detectives
A new Channel 4 documentary, The Body Detectives, reveals how a team of volunteer cold case investigators from charity Locate International revisit unidentified bodies.
With thousands of such cases in the UK, the series highlights the efforts to give names, stories and solace to these forgotten individuals.
Ex-detective Dave Grimstead leads a network of forensic experts, each contributing their unique specialism to solve these mysterious cases.
In tonight’s episode at 9pm on Channel 4, Dave and his expert team will investigate the disappearance of George Johnstone.
He vanished off the Norfolk coast after he selflessly jumped into the sea to help a distressed family – but he was never seen again.
The former detective was tasked by George’s family to find his final resting place.
The entire series is available for streaming on Channel 4.