A group of children from a summer camp found human skeletal remains on Rawson Island in the Connecticut River, between Greenfield and Montague, Massachusetts, on August 23.
The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office confirmed the incident in a recent statement.
The incident occurred during midday when the young explorers, participating in an environmental philosophy program under the Westhampton-based organization Biocitizen, were studying the river’s low water levels.
Kurt Heidinger, the executive director of Biocitizen, mentioned that a seven-year-old boy initially discovered the bones. The group, comprising about two dozen children and staff, was engaged in their routine summer activity when they made the discovery.
While Heidinger first speculated that the remains were of a buck, a subsequent visit to the site after a lunch break revealed a human skull buried beneath the sand.
Upon discovery, an adult promptly informed the local police. Investigators, along with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, arrived at the scene to ensure all remains were recovered. The process of identifying the remains is currently underway, led by the local medical examiner.
Multiple agencies are involved in the investigation.
Laurie Loisel, a spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office, confirmed that investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The students later constructed a small shrine near the Westfield River in Chesterfield, paying tribute to the unidentified person.
