27 March 2023 , 11:02
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The disembodied foot of a human being has washed up on a popular beach.
Locals made the stomach-churning find at Petone Beach, a popular local and tourist swimming spot in Wellington, New Zealand, on Saturday at around 8am local time (8pm Sunday night).
Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Williamson said the case is not being treated as murder at this stage of the investigation.
After locals stumbled on the foot, a massive land and sea operation was launched in the hopes of finding the rest of the body - but the team was unable to track down the remains.
The foot is undergoing pathological testing and "formal identification of the foot will take place in due course", said Mr Williamson.
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One couple on the beach at the time of the discovery said they believed it may have belonged to a kayaker who got lost as sea.
Another beachgoer, Julie, said she was left "disturbed" by the incident.
"We bring our kids down here," she said. "You're not sure if you're going to find the other one."
Detectives are still working to identify the foot (Bloomberg via Getty Images)A local business owner, Helen, who runs a nearby cafe, has been left terrified due to the violent nature of the discovery. She now fears for her safety because she works at the restaurant into the early hours.
Resident Renee called for officials to work out what happened as she sent her condolences to whoever was involved.
Earlier this year, police shared images of a dead woman's distinctive tattoos in the hopes of identifying her three months after her body washed ashore in Brighton.
In March, detectives launched a new appeal for information after the body was found at the water’s edge in Saltdean, Brighton, on December 20 last year.
A passerby had contacted the police after making the discovery at around 1.20pm and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
So far an extensive investigation has drawn a blank in identifying the woman.
The woman’s unique tattoos have now been shown to the public in the hope they may help to identify her.
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The tattoos on her arms and legs include a bird and what appears to be the face of an animal.
Police believe that the woman is aged between 20 and 25, and around 5ft 4in with a slim to medium build.
She is not believed to have been in the water for longer than 24 hours and maritime authorities have suggested that she may have gone into the sea further west with the tide taking her down to Saltdean.
A Sussex Police statement read: "The body of a young woman washed up on the beach at Brighton has still to be identified nearly three months after its discovery."