Woman's body found wrapped in trash bag, floating off coast of Egmont Key
Joneé Lewis reports for FOX 13 Tampa Bay
A woman's body was found wrapped in a trash bag off Florida's Gulf Coast over the weekend.
The discovery about 12:40 p.m. Saturday off the coast of Egmont Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay was confirmed by the U.S. Coast Guard to FOX 13. Crews responded to recover the body, which was first found by fishermen.
Witnesses said they were spearfishing when they went for a dive. As they headed to the next spot, they found the trash bag. They tried to pick it up but quickly realized it was not trash.
After cutting the plastic and canvas bag that was inside, they said they saw skin and what was believed to be a bra strap or bikini. The witnesses said they made the distress call shortly after the discovery.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to FOX 13 that the body of a woman was found wrapped in a plastic trash bag off the coast of Egmont Key around 12:40 p.m. Saturday. (FOX 13 Tampa Bay)
The woman's remains were discovered 13 miles off the coast, according to St. Pete police.
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A view of the water of Egmont Key in Florida. (FOX 13 Tampa Bay)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the lead agency looking into the incident since the body was found in federal waters.
The woman has not yet been identified by authorities. One local report says the woman was likely middle-aged, according to descriptions.
