Human remains have been pulled from the East River in New York City, in full view of shocked children at a famous carousel.

A city Parks Department enforcement officer found the remains – a skull and some bones, which are believed to be human – alongside Brooklyn Bridge Park’s shoreline near Dock Street at around 8.45am on Monday, the New York Daily News reports. 

The gruesome discovery was made just feet away from the iconic Jane’s Carousel, which was built in 1922 and donated to the park in 2011 following years of restoration.

It was also not far from the building housing the Time Out Market, with residents able to watch as police combed through the area and scuba teams searched the water for more remains.

Photos from the scene show members of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner bagging the remains on a rocky shoreline.

Others, as well as members of the New York Police Department, were then seen scouring through the rocks with cadaver dogs in their effort to find more remains.

One woman told News 12 Brooklyn she was able to see the crews handle a skull, hip bone and femur.

But it is unclear whether any further bones were recovered during the search. 

The bones were covered in clothing, and a pair of boots were recovered nearby, according to the New York Post.  

‘This is Dumbo Park,’ one resident said. ‘I don’t understand why his would be a dumping place.

‘And I’m happy I didn’t have my son with me.’ 

An anthropologist with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will now conduct tests to determine the age, race and gender of the remains.

The discovery came less than 24 hours after officers pulled a man’s body from the water in another part of Brooklyn, the Post reports.

The remains of the dead man, believed to be in his 30s, was discovered near Pier 12 just before 2pm on Sunday.

Both cases are now under investigation.