Diego Barría was an off-roading enthusiast. His remains were found inside a shark after he went missing weeks ago. Photo / Facebook
Diego Barría was an off-roading enthusiast. His remains were found inside a shark after he went missing weeks ago. Photo / Facebook
Human remains found inside a shark have been identified as those of an Argentinian man who went missing weeks ago.
It brings a tragic end to the search for Diego Barría, who was last seen driving his all-terrain vehicle on a southern Argentinian beach late on February 18.
Two days later his vehicle was found, damaged and abandoned, on a beach near Rocas Coloradas, where he had been off-roading, prompting an extensive search for the 32-year-old father-of-three.
But after a week-long search, three fishermen alerted the coastguard that they had found human remains inside one of three school sharks caught close to where Barría’s ATV was located, according to the Associated Press.
Law enforcement officer Daniela Millatruz, who led the search, told local news media the fishermen “found human remains” when they were cleaning one of the sharks.
His family were able to recognise Barría “due to a tattoo that appeared in one of those remains” of a green and red rose with an ineligible inscriptions.
Diego Barría’s remains were identified by a unique tattoo. Photo / Facebook
The exact circumstances of his death are still unknown and investigations are continuing.
“We presume Diego had an accident,” Millatruz said, AP reports, “and we’re investigating if there was a vehicle involved.”
A DNA test will be performed to officially confirm if the remains belong to him.
Civil Protection undersecretary Jose Mazeei told local media that investigators had theories as to what happened to Barria, based on the state of his damaged quad bike and shattered helmet they found abandoned on the beach.
One hypothesis is that he was injured in an accident with another vehicle – and they are not ruling out foul play – or that he was lying unconscious on the beach and was dragged out to sea by the tide.
There was reportedly a strong tidal surge the weekend he disappeared.
Barría’s partner Virginia Brugger, who was posting updates on the search to social media, shared the tragic news of the discovery at the weekend.
Diego Barría’s partner Virginia Brugger led tributes on social media. Photo / Facebook
“My heart went with you! I love you forever,” she wrote alongside a picture of the two of them together.
In earlier posts urging friends and family to pray for his safe return, Brugger said she would remain “strong for the kids”, but that she didn’t know how long she would be able to keep it up.
