The head is believed to belong to missing snorkeler Wen (Walter) Ren Gu. Photo: 7 News Australia
A human head has been discovered on a beach in Western Australia. The remains are believed to belong to a snorkeler who disappeared in the area days earlier.
On Tuesday morning, a local man discovered the remains in the sands of Fence Reef Beach, near the town of Lancelin, as 9 News Australia reports. Police were called just after 7 a.m. When officers arrived, they taped off the area and removed the head.
The remains are believed to belong to a snorkeler who disappeared in the area just five days earlier. On New Year’s Day, Wen Ren Gu, also known as Walter, was snorkeling with three friends at Ledge Point, located 75 miles north of Perth, when he was separated from the group and went missing. His friends alerted authorities, prompting a large-scale search effort from volunteer rescue groups, local fishermen and water police. When there were still no signs of Gu on January 2, the search was scaled back.
“Formal identification is yet to be completed but it is believed to be a 32-year-old man who went missing on Thursday 1 January 2026,” police said in a statement. “His death is not being treated as suspicious.”
In initial reports, there was no speculation on whether wildlife had anything to do with Ren Gu’s death as the investigation is still in its early stages.
