Possible human remains found in mineshaft near Groveland

The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that possible human remains were discovered on Saturday in a mineshaft outside the Groveland area.

The area is on public land, according to a news release.

The Tuolumne Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team determined the mineshaft was unsafe to enter, the news release said.

The California Office of Emergency Services was contacted and on Wednesday morning a specialized team from Southern California arrived to recover the remains. The Sheriff’s Office investigators and coroner officials are assisting, the news release said.

According to the release: “We have not been able to make any determinations at this time in regards to the identity of the remains, gender or how long the remains have been in the mineshaft.”

The Sheriff’s Office said it will not release any more information until the remains can be identified and next of kin can be contacted.

This story was originally published December 28, 2016 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Possible human remains found in mineshaft near Groveland."