LONG BEACH, Calif. — A routine outing on the water turned disturbing for a group of recreational boaters who say they initially mistook a floating object for debris near the historic RMS Queen Mary — only to realize it was a human body.

The discovery was made late Sunday afternoon in the waters adjacent to the permanently docked ocean liner, which serves as a hotel and tourist attraction in Long Beach Harbor.

“We thought it was trash at first,” one of the boaters told local media. “It looked like a bundle of clothing or debris drifting in the current. When we got closer, we realized it wasn’t.”

Authorities Respond

Long Beach police and harbor patrol units responded shortly after receiving a 911 call from the boaters. Officials confirmed that a deceased individual was recovered from the water and transported to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office for identification and autopsy.

Authorities have not yet released the person’s name, age or gender, pending notification of next of kin.

Investigators said there were no immediate signs of foul play visible at the scene, but emphasized that the circumstances surrounding the death remain under investigation.

Investigation Ongoing

The area around the Queen Mary is a busy stretch of harbor, frequented by sightseeing boats, private vessels and commercial traffic. Officials are reviewing surveillance footage from nearby docks and vessels to determine how long the body may have been in the water.

A spokesperson for the Long Beach Police Department urged anyone with information to come forward.

The Queen Mary, a retired British ocean liner that has been docked in Long Beach since 1967, has long been a landmark on the Southern California coast. Sunday’s grim discovery briefly disrupted normal harbor activity as authorities secured the area.

Police said more information will be released once the medical examiner determines a cause and manner of death.