Discovery of unattached human feet baffles B.C. police

Two right feet, both male and lodged in size 12 running shoes, recently showed up on two islands in British Columbia's Strait of Georgia.

The discovery of thetwo human feet within the space of a week has prompted speculation that they may belong to men who died in the ocean following a plane or a boating accident.

"We have been informed that it looks like both feet had separated from the body by natural decomposition, possibly while in the water,''said Cpl. Garry Cox of Oceanside RCMP on Vancouver Island.

The first was discovered Aug. 20 on Jedediah Island by a 12-year-old girl from Washington state, who found a black-and-white Adidas shoe with a sock and foot still inside.

The second was found six days later on Gabriola Island by a Vancouver couple who were hiking along the beach when they came upon a Reebokrunning shoewith human remains inside.

Cox said a cleanly cut foot would have been very suspicious, but natural decomposition suggests the victims may have drowned.

"Both feet were decomposing, but still had flesh on them," said Vancouver Island regional coroner Rose Stanton.

Stanton said the B.C. Coroners Service is conducting DNA tests on the feet in a bid to identify them.

Meanwhile, policehave been left to ponder the odds against finding two male feet wearing size 12 running shoes within the space of a week. They areso astronomically high, they defy description, Cox said.