Human Head Washes Ashore on Popular Tourist Beach in Florida

Police are investigating after a human head washed ashore at a popular tourist beach in South Florida. 

A beach worker in Key Biscayne, Fla., found the head around 8:36 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, Det. Andre Martin with Miami-Dade Police Department confirms to PEOPLE. 

The worker notified Key Biscayne police who determined the object was, in fact, a head, and then notified the Miami-Dade police. 

Miami-Dade and Key Biscayne authorities are awaiting results from the medical examiner’s office to determine the identity of the person, as well as the nature and manner of the person's death. 

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Martin says the case is not being investigated as a homicide at this time. 

The remains appear to be that of an adult male, Martin says. 

“At this point we're not discounting any possibility,” he tells PEOPLE. “This could be an accident or missing person, it’s too early to tell the circumstances.”

“What remains to be seen is where did the head come from?” Miguel Muelle, a local resident, told NBC Miami.

The medical examiner's office was not immediately available for comment.