After a severed head washed ashore on a South Florida beach, police identified it as a brother who had saved his sister from drowning a week prior.
On Tuesday November 12, a beach worker in Key Biscayne made the shocking discovery as they accidentally walked by a severed head laying on the sandy shore.
The discovery comes after a 19-year-old teenager had been missing from the area since November 9, with three days of searches turning up unsuccessful results.
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In the early evening of that Saturday, Victor Enrique Castaneda Jr. and his younger sister, were last spotted going into the sea at South Point Beach.
According to the Miami Herald, the pair were soon taken over by a rip current, leaving them calling out for help as they struggled in the water.
Bystanders were able to help Castaneda's sister but could not find the teen himself, according to WTVJ.
Jessica, their older sister, recalled to the outlet that her siblings ‘had just gotten in the water’ when it started getting dark and the current came.
She told the station: “They became distressed and yelling for help.
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“Before he was submerged, he threw my sister, because he told her they were gonna die, and he threw her, and that was the last she saw of him,” she added.
Jessica went on to share that her brother ‘died a hero.’
Before the head was identified as Castaneda Jr., Det. Andre Martin with the Miami-Dade Police Department told PEOPLE: "At this point we're not discounting any possibility.
“This could be an accident or missing person, it’s too early to tell the circumstances.”
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On Friday 15 November, the Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that the severed head sadly belongs to Castaneda Jr.
The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner also confirmed that the head belonged to the teen, as per CBS News and the Miami Herald.
Cmdr. Shantell Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the department, said: “The Miami Beach Police Department extends prayers and condolences to the family.
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“Our victim advocates will continue to provide support to the family during this time.”
While they have not yet confirmed how he died, a spokesperson for the police told NBC News that they do not suspect foul play.
On Facebook, tributes to the late teen began, with Jessica writing: “The pain I’m left with is insurmountable.
“My heart is completely and irreparably shattered. Your absence will never be accepted. No words could ever describe how much I love you Victor. To the top of the highest mountain and to the depths deeper than the titanic, I love you little brother. I love you so much."
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She added: “I will miss you every second of every minute of every single day for the rest of my life.
“I will dream of your smile and your infectious laugh until I find you in the next life, in every life I will find you.”
UNILAD reached out to the Miami-Dade Police Department for comment.
Britt Jones