ATHENS, GREECE- The Greek coast guard made a grim discovery on Sunday when they recovered the body of an unidentified man off Schinias beach near the town of Marathon, just northeast of Athens. According to authorities, the man was found with a 22-pound barbell tied to his leg, indicating a potential crime.
Divers retrieved the body, which was located approximately 110 yards offshore after authorities were alerted to its presence early Sunday afternoon. The corpse was then transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where the man’s death was confirmed. Officials estimated that the body had been in the water for several days, and the man was believed to be between 40 and 45 years old.
In order to unravel the mystery surrounding the man’s death, authorities initiated an investigation at the nearby port of Rafina. Detailed information regarding the circumstances of the body’s initial spotting remains undisclosed. However, the Schinias beach is popular among locals and tourists alike and usually attracts large crowds.
In a chilling echo of this discovery, just days earlier, a human skull locked to a 15-pound dumbbell had been recovered from a waterway in New Orleans.
According to police reports, the skull was “fully decomposed, [and] lacking a jaw or the top row of teeth.” The incident is under investigation.