A group spearfishing off the coast of Florida were shocked to find a woman stuffed into a bin bag in the middle of the ocean.
The grim discovery was made by fisherman on Saturday at around 12.40pm just 13 miles off the coast of Egmont Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay, Florida, US.
The group were spearfishing in the sea and came across what looked like a bag of rubbish but when the fisherman looked closer they found a body wrapped in a canvas bag.
On closer inspection the group were stunned to find the body had been placed in a plastic rubbish bag.
Some of the fisherman attempted to pick up the rubbish bag but due to the weight the group quickly realised there was a body inside the bag.
The fisherman cut through the bag and saw what appeared to be a bikini strap or a bra strap and found the woman, who has not been identified.
It is thought the woman was middle-aged.
The distressed group quickly called emergency services including the Coast Guard and the St. Petersburg Police Department who were dispatched to recover the body.
Despite multiple agencies being involved in the rescue, the Federal Bureau of Investigation are now leading the investigation after the body was discovered in federal waters.
According to Captain Dylan Hubbard, who was nearby at the marina, his crew members heard the distressing call the fisherman made to the U.S. Coast Guard.
He recalled the crew members saying to him: "You see that plastic trash bag in front of our boat? That's a dead body.
"They're on a small boat, it's up close and personal, you don't forget that picture."
He hopes the woman's family will eventually get closure after the discovery of the body.
It remains unclear how long the body was in the ocean for. The FBI have not released the woman's identify.
The discovery of the body comes just days after a man's body was found in a retention pond in the area of Gandy Boulevard, Florida.
According to authorities, the man was identified as Jamie Leon Hobdy, 42, from Tampa.
A 'distinguishing tattoo' helped identify the man as officers remain unclear how Hobdy died.
He was reported missing to police by his family before his death as an investigation into his death is underway.
