Updated

Three birdwatchers snapping photos along a New York City shoreline came upon a grisly discovery: a severed right hand lying palm up in the sand.

According to DNAinfo.com, the birdwatchers called 911 from Calvert Vaux Park in Brooklyn and officers with the New York City Police Department removed the decomposed hand.

An official told the website the cleanly severed body part had been in the water "for a long period of time."

The discovery was made on Jan. 4. The next day, officers returned to the scene with cadaver dogs and found a right foot beneath driftwood on the water's edge, about 65 feet from where the hand was discovered, according to the website.

Authorities have not yet determined the identity of the victim. Anyone with information is urged to call NYPD Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

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