Mystery of the Missing Feet
Science Meets Sea's Sneakers
Why only feet?
Dr. Gail Anderson, a forensic scientist at Simon Frasier University, doesn't think that the feet mystery of B.C. is actually a mystery at all. She studies how pigs decompose in water – they are nibbled at by bottom dwellers such as crabs or worms until an appendage breaks off and is carried away by currents.
In the case of humans, a foot encased in a buoyant running shoe can make its way to the surface and be washed ashore. Floating feet have been found all over the world, such as in California, New Zealand, Sweden, England, and Spain. What would be a mystery, says Dr. Rick Thomson of IOS, is if we began finding feet in high heels or heavy boots.
Sneakers float
New running shoes come with state-of-the-art cushioning systems to absorb shock. But these cushioning systems make runners very buoyant in water – they can easily float, even with a foot in them. Other shoes sink - perhaps this is why the only feet found have been encased in running shoes. Sneakers are also tied tightly around the foot, preserving it better than other types of shoes, and tend to float upside down, which protects it from being pecked at by birds. So far, none of the feet appear to have been severed, but rather have detached from the bodies through natural processes.
Why so many?
One explanation is that people have been on the lookout since the first foot was reported. Instead of ignoring a shoe washed ashore, more people will report it to the police. Heightened awareness of this nature may help investigators find much needed clues in their missing persons cases.' B.C. also has a troublingly long list of missing persons – longer than that of any other province. As of May 2008, B.C. listed 2,371 people as missing.
Who do the feet belong to? Answers are starting to take shape… but so are more questions.
>>Solve