A GRUESOME discovery made by a group of teenagers has sparked hope police will now be able to solve a nearly year-long mystery.
The group of youngsters found the remains of a human leg off the coast of North Carolina near Hammocks Beach State Park on Saturday.
Police were called to the scene and now say they are investigating whether the bones found belong to a missing kayaker.
Warren Liner, 73, vanished back in December last year.
His kayak and lifejacket were found but he remains missing.
Now police have said "while positive identification has not yet been confirmed…preliminary investigation leads investigators to believe that the remains are that of a missing kayaker, Warren Liner."
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The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office confirmed: "Liner’s kayak and life jacket were recovered during the search on Bear Island, but his body was not."
They added: "The search of the area and investigation included members of the Coast Guard, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, NC Wildlife Resources, and NC Park Service."
The NC Park Service had been planning to do a grid search for additional evidence on Monday.
Police added: "The investigation continues and is being conducted by NC Wildlife. If you have any information, please contact NC Wildlife or Onslow County Sheriff’s Office."
The Sun told earlier this week how a family of three vanished on a camping trip.
Jill Sidebotham, 28, her ex-partner Nicholas Hansen, 38, and their daughter Lydia, two, were last seen at a Walmart store in Mexico, Maine on July 2.
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Hansen asked Jill and Lydia to go camping on June 27 and the mom and daughter were supposed to return on June 30 but they didn't.
Jill's phone has been turned off since June 28, and Hansen has had no signal since June 29.
Anyone with information in the case should call the Sanford Police Department at 207-324-9170.
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