Human head floats ashore in South Florida

Police in South Florida are working to determine the identity of a head that washed ashore near Key Biscayne on Tuesday morning.

The head, which appeared to belong to a man, was spotted by a beach worker about 8:30 a.m. floating on the shoreline near a small island near Key Biscayne, said Detective Andre Martin of the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Key Biscayne police notified Miami-Dade police’s homicide bureau, the agency that handles slayings in Key Biscayne, Martin said.

Police investigate after a human head washed ashore on Key Biscayne, Fla., on Tuesday morning.NBC6 South Florida

Personnel with the medical examiner's office were investigating the cause of death, Martin said.

Police have not determined if the person was killed in a slaying, or if a marine animal or a boating accident could have led to a decapitation, Martin said.

“We have not been able to determine exactly how the head became separated from the body, but there are a couple working theories,” Martin said.

No other human remains have been located, Martin said.

NBC South Florida reported that a person was raking the beach when they made the discovery.

Aerial footage showed investigators examining the remains as a section of the beach was closed off.

Key Biscayne residents said they heard helicopters and were shocked to learn about the gruesome discovery.

“What remains to be seen is where did the head come from?” Miguel Muelle told NBC South Florida.