Apparent Human Remains Suddenly Wash up on Florida Beach

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) is investigating what appears to be human remains that suddenly washed up on a Florida beach on Thursday morning.

A person was walking along the beach at around 7:40 a.m. on Thursday when they stumbled upon the remains, according to a post by the PBSO. Police were unable to identify the remains, which CBS 12 reported were mostly skeletonized. It's unclear when the person may have died, as it can take as little as three weeks up to several years for a dead body to become skeletonized.

"Today, at 7:43 am, a resident walking on the beach discovered what appears to be human remains washed up on shore. We responded to the 11600 block of Turtle Road, in North Palm Beach and determined that the remains appear to be human," PBSO posted on X, formerly Twitter, at noon on Thursday. "Detectives from the Violent Crimes Division and Crime Scene Units responded to the scene to investigate further. Medical Examiners investigators arrived on scene to take possession of the remains. The remains are not identifiable, therefore, DNA will play a role in this investigation. More information will be released when it becomes available."

Newsweek reached out to PBSO by email for comment.

It is unclear what the body was doing in the water. Human remains can be discovered at lakes or along beaches for various reasons. For example, multiple bodies were discovered at Lake Mead in 2022 after the reservoir's levels dropped due to a megadrought. Many of the victims were believed to be drowning victims, although one set of human remains was discovered in a barrel, and police believed that the remains belonged to the victim of a mob-related shooting, Newsweek reported at the time.

More nefarious reasons are also possible. For example, a headless body without arms was found on a New York City beach in November, and police linked the body to Emmy-winning filmmaker and photographer Ross McDonnell, who disappeared after going into the ocean earlier that month.

Mystery also surrounded the gruesome discovery of a man's body in Malibu, California, last summer. The man was found inside a 55-gallon drum floating in a lagoon. When a lifeguard opened the drum, human remains were discovered inside.

All manner of items can wash up on the beach, including those with historical significance. A shipwreck lost to the ocean since 1884 re-emerged in February 2023 after it washed up on a beach in Nantucket.