Mystery Feet Wash Up On Canada's Shore

Five Severed Feet Have Been Discovered Bobbing In The Water In Less Than A Year

(AP)  A fifth human foot in a year has washed ashore off the coast of British Columbia, and this time it's a left one.

Police said two people out for a walk spotted the left foot floating in water off Westham Island on Monday morning.

Delta Police Const. Sharlene Brooks said officials are working with the B.C. Coroner's office to see if this foot is linked to any other partial remains recovered in the province.

Westham Island is at the mouth of the Fraser River, about 15 miles south of Vancouver.

"A passerby noticed a shoe floating in the water, pulled it in and notified police," Brooks said. "We're treating it as a criminal investigation."

While the similarities to the other found feet is strong, she said there's no indication this foot is related to the other cases.

"We're certainly not discounting the possibility that this may be linked to the other recovered feet, but it's just too premature and very speculative for us to even entertain that right now," she said.

The last foot was found May 22 on Kirkland Island in the Fraser River, about one mile away from Monday's discovery.

The first in the series was found nearly a year ago on Jedidiah Island in the Strait of Georgia. Within days, another right foot was found inside a man's Reebok sneaker on nearby Gabriola Island. The third was found in the same area, on the east side of Valdez Island in early February.

The origin on any of the remains is still unknown.

"This might take a long time," Brooks said. "This is not CSI." She said in order to identify the foot, other remains from the body or identifying material such as a DNA would be needed. "It's going to be pretty difficult."

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has said there's no evidence the feet were severed or removed from the victims' legs by force.

Curtis Ebbesmeyer, an oceanographer based in Seattle, Wash., said when a human body is submerged in the ocean, the main parts like arms, legs, hands, feet and the head are usually what come off the body.

He said his theory is that the feet came along as a result of an accident that might have happened up along the Fraser River, that washed down and spread out along the Straight of Georgia.

Ebbesmeyer said when the third foot was found the feet could have drifted from as far as 1,000 miles away. Ebbesmeyer said the feet could have been severed or detached from their bodies on their own.

[redundancy08]

In Canada they don''t use feet, they use meters.

[mac096]

In response to navpro:

"Ebbesmeyer said the feet could have been severed or detached from their bodies on their own."

When a body has been submersed in water for a period of time, the limbs and head tend to disarticulate from the rest of the body. In other words, indeed, the feet may have detached from the body on their own. As might have the hands, arms, legs, head etc.

Sincerely,
A Master''s student with a degree in Forensics and Criminology.

[Gary Kempf]

Is this why they invented toe tags?

The toe tag reads as follows;
In the event of self detachment, please return to
Joseph L. Foote
22 Toes Road
Lefoot province, Vancouver Canada

[newsjunky5]

Maple syrup, unspoiled nature, the surf lapping at your feet...tour Canada!

[lamotte4]

Maybe some person should have put their foot in their mouth.

[Gary Kempf]

everdreaming

Wise decision, Maybe you should engrave them with your name and address, mark them right and left. You know just in case they self detach. That way the Canadian police can return it to you when they recover it from the Frazer river. Also, they will have no doubt your self detached foot/feet belong to you.

[tootall10142]

Sheds a whole new light on FOOT PRINTS IN THE SAND.

[everdreaming-2009]

In preparation for my annual trip to Canada, I have securely taped and wrapped my feet to my body so as not to prematurely lose them!!

[Gary Kempf]

newsjunky5

I was really wandering more about the old saying:

"Put your best foot forward"

Which leads to, how do you decide which is the best foot? Did sombody lose the foot because it wasn''t the best foot? and self detach?

[newsjunky5]

"Interesting concept, self detaching feet? Is there a medical discription for that? Or does that only happen in Canada?"
----------------------------

Never heard that song by Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots Were Made for Walking?" I think it was a big hit. Maybe even in Canada. That could explain what happened. That "The Foot Bone''s Connected to the Shin Bone" song is just misinformation, religious malarky.

[Gary Kempf]

"Ebbesmeyer said the feet could have been severed or detached from their bodies on their own."

Interesting concept, self detaching feet? Is there a medical discription for that? Or does that only happen in Canada?

[newsjunky5]

If it''s tidal there, I''d guess the remains came from the tsunami, or some other maritime disaster. If remains can''t wash in that far, as I heard suggested in one news report, could animals have carried them upstream from the Ocean? Only extensive scientific testing can determine if a salmon can swim carrying a human foot. And then the question will always remain, "A coho or a sockeye salmon?"

[newsjunky5]

That investigation is over a yard and a half, someone should tell our footloose Canadian neighbo(u)rs.

[kevzgrl]

Also, thanks to all you wits who posted your one-liners on this. I needed a good laugh and had several.

[kevzgrl]

"While the similarities to the other found feet is strong, she said there''s no indication this foot is related to the other cases."

Uhh, each person only has 2 feet, right??? So, this could only be related to 1 other foot, right??? Have they done those "tests" to try to relate the OTHER 4 FEET to each other? Does it take a ROCKET SCIENTIST to realize that at least 3 people are dead (2 feet each for 2 and 1 for the 3rd - I doubt if that third person gave up their foot WILLINGLY) and they were more than likely murdered? Do they think this is just RANDOM??? The RCMP must be a bunch of losers to think those feet just fell off or were taken off people of their free will - glad they aren''t down here investigating crimes. Scott Peterson would have gotten a hero''s tickertape parade when Laci''s and Connor''s bodies washed up on shore if they were.

[Gary Kempf]

He said his theory is that the feet came along as a result of an accident that might have happened up along the Fraser River, that washed down and spread out along the Straight of Georgia.

What Canada has a high rate of accidental foot amputations? Five severed feet found floating in a river, and he is stating this as casual as asking someone to pass the butter at the dinner table?

Canada must really be kicked backed, Yawn ,another foot found severed floating in the Frazer river.

[voxpopulus]

Watson, there''s something afoot.

[haoli25]

That''s where I lost it!

[kmccliment]

so I wonder who won the AZZ kicken contest?

[smurfcrusher]

um,,, anyone missing any feet?

this is bizarre.