Posted on May 19, 2012.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Investigators recovered human remains from the bottom of a cliff near the Golden Gate Bridge started after a kayaker spotted a skull.
As visitors battled fog and wind to photograph the bridge, searchers rappelled 600 feet down a cliff looking for human remains.
U.S. Park Police Rangers and Marin County Sheriff's investigators converged at the park after a kayaker on Monday reported seeing a human skull in a cove.
"We're treating it as a crime scene, but we don't know if it was 'accidental.' It's precautionary for us to treat it as a crime scene," said Nat'l Park Ranger George Durgerian.
Searchers say the skull and several upper body and torso bones they also found appear to those of an adult and have been here for about a year.
They say the remains along with clothes and jewelry nearby haven't given investigators an indication if it's a man or a woman.
Some visitors were rattled by the discovery, especially when they heard the victim may have fallen from the vista point where they were standing.
"It freaks me out… a lot. (laugh) The first thing I said to him (gestures to boyfriend) was 'I'm holding on to you because this wind scares me,’" said Liz Sheffer, a tourist from Stafford, VA
The wind and terrain made the search more difficult.
"There's a lot of loose debris, so their own actions tend to bring 'rockfall' potentially on them,” said Robert Rye, the manager of Search and Rescue Team. “And they're looking for things as small as, maybe, a person's tooth."
Teams wrapped up their search late Friday afternoon with the late discovery of more remains.
"Toward the very end of the day, we found a 'fanny pack' as well, which we're hoping will have identification or some further clues to the identity of this person," said Durgerian.
Officials said it will take several weeks to fully analyze the evidence found here. They also said they hoped the Coroner's office will be able to make a 'positive' identification from the remains without having to make a public plea for more information.