By Cristina Corbin
January 11, 2014
The discovery of a human foot on a Florida beach New Year’s Day brought to mind the well-publicized spate of shoe-clad feet that have washed up in the Pacific Northwest in recent years, but experts say the grisly cases aren’t as mysterious as they may seem.
Photo courtesy foxnews.com
Investigators are baffled over the identity of the foot, with one law enforcement source calling the finding “very unusual,” and some residents suspecting a sinister scenario. But medical experts say the foot, found inside a shoe on Peck Lake Beach in Martin County, is likely that of a drowning victim, as are several detached feet discovered along the coasts of Canada and Washington state in recent years. There’s a simple explanation for how feet wash up on shore, said one former coroner.
“If somebody disappears in the water for whatever reason – suicide, homicide, accidental drowning, boat or plane crashes – the body decomposes after a period of time,” said Dr. Michael Baden, who served as New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner.
While even clothed bodies don’t last long in the sea, feet inside shoes can last for years in the ocean.
“The bones start separating naturally as the soft tissue deteriorates,” Baden said. “And when it comes to the feet, the shoes can really keep those 26 bones [that make up each foot] together. Shoes and sneakers tend to be sturdy enough that they can persist for years and decades and they will protect whatever is inside them.”