Human remains found near New York’s East River as children play on Brooklyn’s famed carousel

Grim discovery came less than a day after police pulled a body out of the water near Red Hook

A shot of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Dumbo neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. NYPD officers discovered skeletal remains at Dumbo Park, near Jane’s Carousel, on August 19, 2024, on the banks of the East River. The incident is still under investigation (stock image) (Julienne Schaer / NYC & Company)

Police in New York discovered human skeletal remains — including a skull wrapped in clothing — near the site of the iconic Jane's Carousel in Brooklyn near the edge of the East River.

A parks department officer discovered the remains in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighborhood around 8:50am on Monday, according to the New York Post, citing sources close to the investigation.

Clothing covering the remains and a pair of boots were found at the site.

A woman who spoke to News 12 told the broadcaster that she saw officers carrying what she believed were a skull, a hip, and a femur.

Onlookers at the site expressed their shock at the discovery to the news outlet. One woman said she was glad that she did not have her son with her that day, and lamented that Dumbo Park, where the remains were found, was being used as a "dumping place."

A shot of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Dumbo neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. NYPD officers discovered skeletal remains at Dumbo Park, near Jane’s Carousel, on August 19, 2024, on the banks of the East River. The incident is still under investigation (stock image) (Julienne Schaer / NYC & Company)

Police found the remains less than a day after NYPD officers removed a man's body from the water near Red Hook, Brooklyn.

That man, who police believe was in his 30s, was found near Pier 12 at Van Brunt and Reed streets around 1:50pm on Sunday, according to police.

The NYPD is continuing to investigate both incidents.