A bodyless head that washed ashore in South Florida has been identified as that of a 19-year-old swimmer who went missing in Miami Beach after he tried to rescue his younger sister from a rip current, authorities said.
Victor Enrique Castaneda Jr. was reported missing near a jetty on November 9. His disappearance led to an unsuccessful search by local officials and the US Coast Guard, media outlets reported.
Meanwhile, a man’s head was found November 12 by a beach worker in Key Biscayne, the barrier island just off Miami. On Friday, the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner confirmed that the human remains were those of Castaneda. A cause and manner of death have not been released.
Castaneda and his sister were swimming at Miami Beach’s South Point Beach when a rip current caught them. A bystander went into the water and rescued the girl, but when that person went back to help Castaneda, he was nowhere to be found, family members said.
On Saturday, family and friends gathered at the beach for a memorial service to celebrate the young man’s life. Two Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue boats fired water cannons in an honorary show, the Miami Herald reported. Wearing “Forever 19” shirts, Castaneda’s sisters told news outlets they were grateful for the outpouring of support for their family.
“He would have loved to see how many people have come and come together and love him wholeheartedly,” Castaneda’s sister, Chloe, told WBFS-TV.
“My brother was an amazing, amazing person and to know him was to love him,” added his other sister, Jessica. “He couldn’t have been more perfect. The most kind person I’ve ever known.”
Castaneda was one of eight children.