SOMERTON BEACH: NEW HIGH TIDE PHOTOGRAPHS, UPDATED 24th January, THE PHOTOS THAT TELL THE STORY? UPDATE 6TH FEBRUARY

NEWS FROM ADELAIDE 

6th February 2022

Dr. Luick informs me that the tide patterns around April 2nd 2014 are very similar to the patterns that occur occurred around 1sr December 1948. This reinforces the view that the tide reached the wall on that latter date. Meaning that the body of the Somerton Man should have been wet when found but it was not. Therefore it .use have been put there after the tide had turned around 4.34 am that day. More to follow, additional information to assess.

IMAGE #1:

SOMERTON BEACH: 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO HIGH TIDE

This photo and the two that follow show adjacent views of the beach and all were apparently taken on April 2nd. 2014. 

In the image above we can see the steps that are also seen in my earlier post HERE. You can see how high the water has risen to the foot of the steps.

IMAGE #2:
A VIEW TO THE NORTH SHOWING STEPS AND WALL/WATER LINE

Taken 20 minutes prior to high tide and in the image above you can see how the tide has advanced so that it is already reaching the base of the rock wall. Referring back to the link HERE.. You will see that the body was found approximately in line with the 3rd post up from the base of the steps.

IMAGE #3 
A BIGGER PICTURE

In this image, taken about 100 meters South of the steps, you can see the bigger picture and the fact that the tide has already reached the base of the rock wall for quite some distance along the beach. Bear in mind that all three photographs were taken between 18 and 20 minutes prior to the peak of the tide.

Of great interest is that the high tide shown here was just after 6.30 pm on April 2nd 2014, according to records of the tide times for South Australia, the high tide at Glenelg just a short distance North of this point, was 2.36 meters or 7 feet 9 inches. The 1948 High tide for this same location was 9 feet according to records.

This in turn means that the body of the Somerton Man would, in all probability have been soaking wet when discovered, but the recorded facts as per the inquest documents, dated 1949,  say that he wasn't, he was cold and damp and the body had not been in the water.

So, let me repeat, according to this information, the Somerton Man died elsewhere at around 2 am on the morning of the 1st December 1948 and his body was taken to the beach after the high tide which occurred at 4.34 am that morning.

If you have an interest in tide times in South Australia, this is the link for the year 2014

THE PHOTOS THAT TELL THE STORY?

UPDATE 24th JANUARY

The following pics show that the high tide on 2nd April 2014 was forecast at 7 foot 9 inches and on that date the vertical height from the road to the sand was 12 feet. the water clearly reached the rock wall. 

The high tide on the morning of December 1st 1948 was 9 feet.  On that date the vertical height between the road and the sand was 13 feet.

This first image was taken 20 minutes before the forecast high tide time 

looking North from the steps:

MARKED WITH THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION WHERE THE BODY WAS FOUND :

The view we have in the above image as marked is the approximate location where the body was found. As you can see the sand is well covered by the incoming tide and this was some minutes prior to the tide reaching its peak of 7 feet 9 inches on the date the image was taken, 2nd April, 2014. The high tide on 1st December 1948 was forecast to be 9 feet.

TIDE LEVEL 10 MINUTES AFTER HIGH TIDE :

This image was taken looking North and you can see how the tide has receded leaving smooth undisturbed sand in its wake.

VIEW TO THE SOUTH TOWARDS BRIGHTON FROM SOMERTON BEACH

Taken 10 minutes after high tide:

In this image, taken left of the steps and looking South towards Brighton, you can see two very significant things. 

Firstly, where the tide has been and then receded, you can see how the sand is smooth and undisturbed.

Secondly and as marked in the image to the right, you can see two patches where the tide did not reach. In both of these marked areas, you can see that sand is heavily disturbed.

It is important to note that the sand at the location where the body was found on December 1st, 1948, (about 100 meters North of where the comparison image above was taken) the sand was described as being smooth and undisturbed indicating the tide had recently washed over it.

I am still awaiting further information and confirmation of precise times and locations from the organisation that took these photographs and will update you when that arrives. This information is critical and whilst we can make an observation that this looks to be the proof that shows the body, when found, would have been soaked by the tide had it been there since 2 am that morning, we still need that definitive confirmation in order to be absolutely certain.

Historically Speaking:

Others over the years have mentioned and questioned the high tides at this location, that includes the Adelaide University Facebook group ( of which I was a member) in 2011 from memory. In 2014 Nick Pelling on his blog page had a post about the tide times and even then he questioned it. The difference between those mentions and those you will find on this blog is that here, the whole issue has been extensively investigated and we provide evidence that strongly suggests that the Somerton Man had indeed died elsewhere at around 2am and did not arrive on the beach until after 4.34 am.

At the very least, the Police should take this discovery very seriously and take it further, there is every reason to do that and none whatsoever to leave it as is.

There are some other images taken at the time in 2014 but which I need to clarify in terms of the exact timing and location from which they were taken, I will advise the results when they come to hand.

FOOTNOTE:

The bottom line is that it takes much more than a mention of the tides or a question about them. Ideally, you should follow up, investigate and make every effort to answer the questions that are raised.

 Regarding Nick Pelling, he had referred to the tides in the past, I have openly said he is capable of far better work and I still believe that. However, in this instance, he was close but didn't do the follow-up for whatever reason. Sad to say that when he handed control of his blog over to the trolls, things changed, and not for the better. Like most trolls, Milongal and John Sanders, have their mental health issues, I hope they are reading this post and if so I am asking you both to please consider your own health and get some professional help, the behaviors you both display are just not normal and can have a long term effect on your mental health and well being and the health of your victims.