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Severed human feet keep washing up on shores along the US-Canada border, but police insist there's nothing weird about it

A map showing the approximate locations of where 15 severed human feet were found along British Columbia's shores since 2007. Inset: A photo of the Nike shoe where one foot was found in September 2017.
Google Maps/INSIDER. Information from BC Coroners Service
  • Authorities in British Columbia are appealing for help to identify a single human foot that washed up in Vancouver last September.
  • It is the 15th human foot that has washed up around British Columbia's shores since 2007, CBC reported.
  • Ten of those cases have been connected to missing people, but the rest remain a mystery.
  • Canadian authorities told CBC that it wasn't anything suspicious, because human feet easily detach from the body and remain afloat due to the foam in the shoe's sole.

Authorities in British Columbia, Canada, say they keep finding severed human feet washing up on shores along the US-Canada border — but insist there's nothing suspicious about it.

The British Columbia Coroners Service on Monday appealed for help to identify a single foot that washed up in West Vancouver, at 30th Street beach, last September.

It's not clear whether the victim went missing in the Vancouver area — oceanic tides may have just washed up the remains in that region, BC Coroners Service spokesman Andy Watson said, according to a report from CBC.

It is the 15th such foot that has washed up around the western Canadian province since 2007, the BC Coroners Service said in a statement.

The foot was found inside a blue sock that was inside a light grey, men's size 9.5 Nike Free RN running shoe with OrthoLite inserts, the coroners service said.

British Columbia authorities found a foot inside this Nike shoe in September 2017.
BC Coroners Service via CBC

Investigators believe the foot belonged to someone under 50 years old, but haven't found a DNA match with any known missing people at this point, the coroners service said.

The victim likely purchased the shoe in spring 2017, when the shoe was likely manufactured, the agency added.

Ten out of the 15 cases of the missing feet since 2007 have been solved. They were tied to missing person investigations. The five other cases remain an enigma.

Watson described the missing feet phenomenon as an "odd trend," but insisted that it "isn't a cause for panic."

The BC Coroners Service said the missing feet was "an odd trend" but insisted that "this isn't a cause for panic."
BC Coroners Service via CBC

Watson suggested to CBC that feet are the most frequently found human body part as they easily detach from the body, and remain afloat because of the foam in the shoe's sole.

He told CBC: "I mean, certainly, it is an odd trend. One thing that we know is that these feet that are found — they're not linked to any sort of suspicious circumstance."

"I want to clear that up to make sure people are aware this isn't a cause for panic," he added.

The map below shows the locations of the severed feet found around British Columbia since 2007.

BC Coroners Service