True crime: The strange and unsolved case of dismembered feet

Over the years many grisly things have washed up on the beach such as whale corpses, bones, dead rats, and, in the case of British Columbia, human feet. The first foot to wash up on the coast of British Columbia was recorded back in 2007 and sent rumors flying that something sinister was happening in the area. 

Theories about the appendages ranged from a strange, fetishistic serial killer to aliens abductors dumping unused body parts. Other more suburban speculations feature organized crime and illegal organ harvesting. However, the experts, such as coroner Barb McLintock, have assured the public that isn’t the case with the floating feet. 

The game’s afoot

The feet that appear on the coast of British Columbia come in all shapes and sizes. Some are grey Nikes size 7, others are size 12 blue and black New Balance runners. What all the feet have in common is that they’re all inside shoes. 

Most of the time the feet would have simply sunk to the ocean floor but since new running shoes float so well with light foam materials and built-in air pockets, the feet instead make their way to the beach. 

So how did these feet come to be separated from their bodies in the first place? McLintock has confirmed that the feet were not severed by any trauma or mechanical means. The explanation is that the ankle, being a weak spot in the body, degraded in the salt water and broke free. 

The other question is how did the bodies come to be in the water in the first place? Who has been going on killing sprees and carelessly dumping corpses in the Canadian ocean? Again, the answer is: no one. 

Not what it seems 

The truth is a bit of a sad letdown as the bodies are most likely to be those who had fallen overboard at sea and from others who may have committed suicide. DNA results from the feet traced back to missing people verify that’s the case. Body parts frequently wash up on shores all over the world depending on wind and current conditions. 

Conspiracy theorists may find it tough to let this one go since it’s hard to resist devising nefarious schemes connected to randomly appearing body parts. But there are no dastardly deeds in this case and in the end, the only reason we even know about these random body parts is due to the advancements in running shoe technology.