Workers inspecting blocked pipe find possible human skeleton, California officials say

A pipe was blocked under a California highway — but when workers went to inspect it, they found possible human remains, officials told news outlets.

Officials from Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol were told the pipe was blocked in Costa Mesa on Monday, Oct. 17, City News Service reported.

When they arrived, they used a robotic camera to inspect a culvert, Highway Patrol Officer Anselmo Templado told the news outlet. Crews reported seeing what they thought was a skeleton inside, according to CBS LA.

“One of the things that caught the attention of the Caltrans operator operating the robot [camera] was that he first noticed a shoe,” Templado told the Daily Pilot. “He, upon closer inspection by the camera, saw there were other features that appeared to be human.”

The possible human remains were found about 300 feet into the pipe, officials told KTLA. They had started to decompose.

The Orange County coroner came to the scene to help get the remains out of the pipe, City News Service reported. However, debris prevented workers from flushing the pipe with water. Instead, they used a vacuum to suck the debris out.

Officials said there is no evidence of foul play, according to CBS LA.

Costa Mesa is about 15 miles south of Anaheim.

This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 7:34 AM with the headline "Workers inspecting blocked pipe find possible human skeleton, California officials say."