Skeletal remains possibly hundreds of years old surface after Hurricane Nicole strikes Florida

The skeletal remains of at least six people that may be from a Native American burial ground hundreds of years old were unearthed after Hurricane Nicole barreled into Florida, police said.

The bones were discovered among the dunes on Chastain Beach on South Hutchinson Island, Martin County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Budensiek told WSVN Friday. They were found by beachgoers as Hurricane Nicole struck the Sunshine State, bringing with it fierce winds and a storm surge which resulted in significant beach erosion.

The Medical Examiner’s office believes the remains are more than 200 years old.

Based on other findings in recent years, investigators believe the bones are from a Native American burial ground located in the area. Human remains have washed up on and near the beach in the wake of past storms — bones belonging to Native Americans were unearthed by Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Budensiek said authorities “are working as if it’s a crime scene out of an abundance of caution,” WBPF reported. He also warned residents against searching for bones, noting that if the location is a Native American burial site, it is federally protected. It’s a felony to intentionally unearth such artifacts and remains, he said.

The bones will be transferred from the Medical Examiner’s office to the Bureau of Archeological Research. Budensiek added that investigators have only removed the remains unearthed by the storm and that they will not dig further.

Authorities have been in touch with the Seminole Nation of Florida.

Hurricane Nicole made landfall in the Sunshine State Thursday just south of Vero Beach around 3 a.m. It marked the first hurricane to hit the U.S. in November in more than 40 years.