Apparently bones are not an uncommon thing to find on the shores of Vancouver Island in Canada this time of year. High tides bring in all sorts of bones from marine life, but every so often, a human one makes it way into the mix as well. Such was the case Thursday morning, when Jordan River resident Mike Johns’ 6-year-old Rottweiler, Taz, became particularly preoccupied with a bed of kelp.
Turns out Taz had made a not-too-uncommon discovery for the area: a tibia and fibula attached to a left human foot, still wearing a white ankle sock and black running shoe. Indeed, British Columbia residents have become a bit blasé about finding human remains in their backyard. As local café owner Joshua Constandinou notes, “At the beginning, it seemed more strange, but now it happens so many times.” So it makes sense that instead of freaking the F out, Mr. Johns simply used a stick to retrieve the leg and kept it locked in his greenhouse for safe keeping until the authorities arrived.
The remains are being inspected by Coroners Service of British Columbia, who will attempt to get a DNA sample. However, the the nature of the tides and currents that brought Foot Doe ashore could mean its owner hails from as far north as Alaska or as far south as Oregon.
People have a lot of theories as to how these feet find themselves on the beach. I mean, why wouldn’t they? Some speculate the remains are proof of a serial killer or human traffickers, but the likely explanation isn’t quite the stuff of a Law & Order episode. Of the twelve feet previously discovered, authorities have been able to assign eight of them to six people, and none of them died by foul play. (But what about the other four?!)
As of yet, the owner of the 13th foot has not been identified.
