A head washed ashore on a South Florida beach has been identified as a 19-year-old swimmer who went missing in the waters of Miami Beach on November 9.

Victor Enrique Castaneda Jr. went missing on November 9 after attempting to rescue his sister, who got swept up in a rip current.

Three days later, a beach worker in Key Biscayne discovered a bodiless head and reported it to authorities.

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner has now confirmed that the head found by the beach worker belongs to Victor Enrique Castaneda Jr.

Here’s what CNN reported:

A bodyless head that washed ashore in South Florida has been identified as that of a 19-year-old swimmer who went missing in Miami Beach after he tried to rescue his younger sister from a rip current, authorities said.

Victor Enrique Castaneda Jr. was reported missing near a jetty on November 9. His disappearance led to an unsuccessful search by local officials and the US Coast Guard, media outlets reported.

Meanwhile, a man’s head was found November 12 by a beach worker in Key Biscayne the barrier island just off Miami. On Friday, Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner  confirmed that the human remains were those of Castaneda. A cause and manner of death have not been released.

Castaneda and his sister were swimming at Miami Beach’s South Point Beach when a rip current caught them. A bystander went into the water and rescued the girl, but when that person went back to help Castaneda, he was nowhere to be found, family members said.

On Saturday, family and friends gathered at the beach for a memorial service to celebrate the young man’s life. Two Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue boats fired water cannons in an honorary show, the Miami Herald reported. Wearing “Forever 19” shirts, Castaneda’s sisters told news outlets they were grateful for the outpouring of support for their family.

Per The New York Post:

Homicide detectives were investigating how a bodyless head washed ashore on a South Florida beach.

The man’s head was found Tuesday by a beach worker in Key Biscayne, the barrier island just off Miami.

“There was no body attached to the head,” Miami-Dade Police Department Detective Andre Martin said in an email Thursday.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.

View the original article here.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.


We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.