Teen kayakers find skeletal human leg while exploring barrier island, NC police say
A group of teenagers was exploring a barrier island off the coast of North Carolina when they made a macabre discovery.
Skeletal remains of a human leg were on the island, and police said they have a hunch about who the remains belonged to.
Deputies got a call about the mysterious leg remains on Huggins Island near Hammocks Beach State Park at about 3 p.m. July 9, according to a news release from the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.
The teens had been exploring the area when they stumbled across the bones, which were part of a leg, Chief Deputy Colonel Chris Thomas told McClatchy News.
One of the bones included a tibia that was badly decomposed, Swansboro Police Chief Dwayne Taylor told Carolina Coast.
The bones might belong to 73-year-old old Warren Liner, who vanished on a solo kayaking trip on Dec. 31, 2021, but police won’t know for sure until the remains are identified by the medical examiner, according to the release.
“Liner’s kayak and life jacket were recovered during the search on Bear Island, but his body was not,” the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office is working with the North Carolina Park Service in the investigation, which is planning to hold a grid search for additional evidence on July 11, according to the release.
Anyone with information is asked to contact North Carolina Wildlife or the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the release said.
Hammocks Beach State Park is about 70 miles northeast of Wilmington.
This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 12:46 PM with the headline "Teen kayakers find skeletal human leg while exploring barrier island, NC police say."
