A human head that washed ashore earlier this month on a beach in Key Biscayne, Florida has been identified as belonging to a 19-year-old man who officials and family said vanished in the ocean earlier this month.
The victim’s family identified him as Victor E. Castaneda Jr. who disappeared into the water while swimming off South Pointe Beach, south of Miami Beach on Nov. 9.
Before he vanished, he and his sister, 17-year-old Hailey Clements, struggled in the water, Castaneda called for help, the Miami Herald reported, and bystanders managed to rescue his sister but could not save her brother.
Miami Beach Police Department spokesperson Officer Christopher Bess told the outlet Saturday authorities continued to investigate what happened to Castaneda in the water.
During a memorial service held one week after he disappeared, Clements addressed a crowd gathered to mourn on the beach at South Pointe.
“Victor was a loving guy, a sweet guy,” the outlet reported Clements said. “Ever since I was little, Victor always told me he would protect me and he died protecting me. He’s my everything, he’s my other half. I’ll never stop missing you.”
USA Today has reached out to Miami Beach police, the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office and the victim’s family.
‘I will miss you every second’
Another of the victim’s sisters, Jessica Castaneda, posted a tribute to her brother on social media.
“My heart is completely and irreparably shattered. Your absence will never be accepted,” she posted on Facebook last week. “I will miss you every second of every minute of every single day for the rest of my life.
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‘Victor was a hero in every sense’
An online fundraiser created to help the family with funeral expenses had raised more than $30,000 as of Monday.
“He died a hero, using all his strength to save his sister from drowning,” the fundraiser’s creator wrote. “Even before this, Victor was a hero in every sense. He sacrificed his dreams to join the army, all to provide a home for his family. Serving others was always his true calling.”
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Human head found on Florida beach belonged to missing 19-year-old
