British Columbia, Canada is known for its sweeping vistas, its fog-shrouded mountains, and the delightful city of Vancouver. Vancouver Island, however, is better known for producing several mysteries. Since 2007, the relatively isolated island has seen a sum total of thirteen detached feet wash ashore. The latest such discovery occurred in December, and this week Canadian investigators have uncovered the fact that the foot belonged to missing Washington man Stanley Okumoto. Okumoto, 79, was last seen in Kitsap County, Washington last September.
Since then, police in America and Canada have found parts of Okumoto's body, including a foot and partial remains located near Neah Bay.
So far, the story of Mr. Okumoto reads like this: on December 7, 2017, Canadian officials announced that they had found parts of Okumoto's foot and leg. Prior to that, on September 20, 2017, in Clallam County, Washington, investigators discovered Okumoto's abandoned vehicle. Two months after that, Mr. Okumoto's remains (sans foot and leg) were found across the Strait of Juan de Fuca in rural Washington.
56-year-old Mike Johns was the individual who first found Okumoto's intact fibula. Johns claimed that he found the item while out walking with his dog. Shockingly, Okumoto's entire foot was found still wearing a sock and a black sneaker.
At this point, no official has come forward to state the cause of Okumoto's death. Similarly, it has yet to be conclusively proven that Okumoto's death has anything to do with the other body parts that have been found on Vancouver Island.
Watery grave
Despite the oddity of thirteen bones washing ashore since 2007, Canadian police officials have mostly chalked up the incidents to British Columbia's reoccurring problem with powerful and high tides.
Indeed, the Canadian province is commonly known as the land of "king tides," where heavy tides often flood coastal areas. After such floods, it is not uncommon for locals to find dead animals or items of clothing that can ultimately be traced back to people in Alaska and Oregon.
Despite the frequency of these massive tides, some commentators have suggested that Vancouver Island is a popular dumping ground for killers.
These ideas have little legitimacy with investigators, for eight of the twelve bones that have been found on Vancouver Island have belonged to either suicides or people who died of accidents. None of the bizarre discoveries have shown any signs of foul play. Mr. Okumoto could just be another tragic victim or either bad luck or his own hand.
Stranger things
Vancouver Island is also well known for its Sasquatch sightings. For well over a decade, residents on or near Vancouver Island have reported hearing strange howls during the day and night. Some have even claimed to have seen one of the creatures. John Bindernagel, a wildlife biologist based in British Columbia, became the world's most vocal advocate for the existence of bigfoot on Vancouver Island.
Prior to his death in January 2018, Bindernagel once said that Vancouver Island offered the "best sasquatch habitat anywhere on the planet."
So far, few have argued that the thirteen bone sightings are somehow related to Vancouver Island's most famous mythological resident.
