Hurricane Nicole has uncovered a 200-year-old burial site full of human skulls and bones.
Beachgoers were left shocked to find six skulls and small bones washed up on Chastain Beach in Florida on Thursday morning.
Martin County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Budensiek said: "Our medical examiner’s office is saying that they believe the bones are in excess of 200 years of age."
The remains are thought to have belong to Indigenous people but it is not the first time a hurricane has uncovered Native American Bones.
After Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019 both storms found human remains at the beach.
Chief Deputy John Budensiek said the findings were likely to be from an Ais burial ground.
He added: “We do believe based on other findings over the years along that area that it’s likely to be an old Indiana burial site.
"When we are dealing with remains like this, we try to preserve history. We are not exploring and digging any further into the area where the remains were found.
"We only recovered what’s been exposed by the water.”
Mr Budensiek warned if anyone tries to touch or disturb the remains there will be criminal charges.
It is due to the site being a Native American burial and is protected by law.
The police have also informed the Seminole Nation of Florida of their findings, who have 2,000 members enrolled in the tribe.
Mr Budensiek was stunned at the findings and claimed it was a new experience for him.
He said: “It was just surreal. Just to think that this is something that we walk on on a daily basis and nobody knows. Everybody’s oblivious to it.
"This is a burial ground. Yes, it’s a public beach, but there’s history to it and now you see it.”
The remains will be sent to the medical examiner's officer where they will inspect the DNA and bone's age.
If they are confirmed as Native American bones they will be sent to a state university for historical purposes.
According to authorities the remains were found on Florida's Atlantic Coast on Thursday morning after Hurricane Nicole made landfall.
At around 3am the storm hit south of Vero Beach with winds of 75mph on the Florida Peninsula, the National Hurricane Center said.
