By Tim Binnall
Authorities in New Zealand are trying to get to the bottom of a rather macabre mystery after a disembodied foot was discovered on a beach. According to a local media report, the puzzling appendage was found on Saturday morning when a person walking along the shore in the coastal community of Petone stumbled upon a shoe sitting in the sand. To what one imagines was their profound surprise, upon closer inspection, the beachgoer realized that it contained a human foot. Police quickly swarmed the beach and set about searching both the land and the water for any additional body parts or possible clues as to the origin of the appendage.
Though the exhaustive operation came up short, authorities indicated that they do not believe that the foot found its way to the beach as a result of foul play and they are now working on identifying is unfortunate owner. As they wait for answers, local residents are understandably concerned about the chilling find. "It is very unsettling for the community," one person said, "we have got old ladies who live just beside us and we are quite worried now, what’s next." The odd discovery is eerily reminiscent of a phenomenon that has been unfolding over the last 16 years wherein a whopping 21 mystery feet have been found on the shores of North America's Pacific Northwest.