Florida authorities have confirmed that the severed head found on a Miami beach last week belongs to 19-year-old Victor Castaneda Jr., a swimmer who tragically lost his life after saving his younger sister from a rip current.
He Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the remains, discovered on November 12, as belonging to Castañeda. She disappeared on November 9 while swimming with her sister Chloe, 17, who was caught in a rip current.
Castañeda managed to save her but the current dragged him out to sea. His remains were found three days later. “I know my little brother was in the water with my little sister and he saved her life. “He is a hero.” Chloe Castaneda saidpaying tribute to his brother’s bravery.
The gruesome discovery was made around 8:30 a.m. by a worker raking the beach near the Key Colony II Ocean Sound condominium in Key Biscayne. The worker immediately alerted authorities and the area was cordoned off with police tape. said Miami-Dade Police Detective Artemis Colom. CBS News The first responders were unsure if the head belonged to a man or a woman until further examination confirmed Victor’s identity.
Helicopter footage captured the scene as police covered the remains with a blue tarp secured by orange traffic cones. The incident left local residents and visitors shocked. “You see all kinds of things here, but nothing like this, as we saw this morning. A person’s head,” Bahman Amini said. CBS News.
“This is my typical route. Our neighborhood is very safe. We have our children here; Our kids play on these beaches, and it’s amazing,” another local resident shared with WPLG. Visitors and former residents expressed concern and curiosity about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
“That’s pretty scary and crazy,” said Alex Portuondo, a former resident now visiting from Denver. “I’ve never heard of anything like this happening on this type of beach before.” Tourist Kristy Sippel added“It’s scary. I would like to know what happened,” while Miami resident Mollie McAuliffe echoed the sentiment, saying, “I have questions about where it came from, where the remains came from. “It’s quite disturbing.”
Authorities have not yet released additional details about the incident. As the investigation continues, Castaneda’s family continues to mourn the loss of a young man described as selfless and heroic. TO GoFundMe has been created to help the Castañeda family cover funeral expenses. The tragedy has left the community mourning and searching for answers, while Victor is remembered for his bravery and sacrifice.