UPDATE: Human remains spotted off St. Helena Island; autopsy planned Tuesday

An autopsy for human remains spotted Sunday by a boater off St. Helena Island could occur Tuesday, according to Capt. Bob Bromage of the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

The remains are believed to be that of an adult male and will undergo an autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston to determine the cause of death, according to a Sheriff's Office news release.

Discovery of the remains, clad only in boxer shorts, was reported at about 4:30 p.m. near Eddings Point Road and Morgan Passage Lane, according to a sheriff report.

If an identity cannot be discovered through the autopsy, the Sheriff's Office Forensic Services Laboratory will attempt to identify the body through DNA analysis, Bromage said.

The remains were found less than a week after skeletal remains belonging to an adult male were located Oct. 18 near Pea Patch Lane, also on St. Helena.

The identity of that man and cause of death have not yet been determined by the Beaufort County Coroner's Office, and the remains are being tested by the Sheriff's Office forensic laboratory, Bromage said. He could not give a time when the DNA results would be available.

Anyone with information about the cases can call Master Sgt. Brian Chapman at 843-255-3417 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CrimeSC.

Follow Caitlin Turner on Twitter at twitter.com/Cait_E_Turner.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 7:09 AM with the headline "UPDATE: Human remains spotted off St. Helena Island; autopsy planned Tuesday."