A beachgoer discovered part of a human leg washed up along the rocks of a Southern California beach on Christmas morning, according to a report.
Someone reported finding a portion of a human leg along the beach on Palos Verdes Estates on the Bluff Cove Trail on Wednesday morning, The Daily News reported.
The leg was the only body part that has been recovered, Capt. Aaron Belda of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department told the outlet. A cadaver dog searched the area but reportedly didn’t find any other remains.
The alarming discovery came one day after two fishermen departed Cabrillo Beach on a small boat, but never returned. Cabrillo Beach is just 13 miles south of where the body part was found.
The Coast Guard, Palos Verdes Estates Police, and other agencies began searching for the missing men — both in their 50s — on Tuesday and came across their vessel overturned, the Coast Guard announced.
After nearly 34 hours, with assistance from drones and a helicopter, the federal agency suspended its search for the fishermen on Wednesday “due to no signs of distress.”
Hours later, the Coast Guard called the paused search an “active suspension,” which means it will restart the search if signs of distress are reported, according to CBS News.
It’s not immediately clear if the leg belonged to one of the fishermen.
“We’re not ruling anything out, but that has not been determined at this point,” Belda told The Daily News. “No identification has been made and we don’t have any supporting information to believe that they are connected.”
The Independent has reached out to Palos Verdes Estates Police Department for more information.
A beachgoer who came across the wrecked vessel described the scene to KTLA.
“The [boat] was completely overturned,” the eyewitness said. “There were holes in the hull and stuff scattered across the beach, a couple of life jackets, a propeller, coolers and kids’ life vests.”
