The BC Coroners Service is investigating a foot encased in a hiking boot that washed up on the shore of Sasamat Lake in Port Moody, B.C.

Officials said that on Friday a youth attending a camp at the Sasamat Outdoor Centre spotted the boot, which was floating in a few metres of water off the northwest shore.

When the boot washed up Saturday morning and a sock and bones were found inside, authorities were called in. An autopsy held Monday confirmed the remains are human.

The coroners service said the autopsy did not show any tool marks or impressions on the bones to indicate the foot had been mechanically separated from the body.

The hiking boot is a black Cougar-brand men's size 12 with a blue interior felt lining. The metal eyelets are significantly rusted, which suggests that it could have been in the water for some time.

Although it is the ninth foot to wash up in southwestern B.C. in the past four years, the coroners service said there are "some significant differences between this and the other eight cases."

For one, this is the first foot to be found in fresh water, not saltwater. It is also the first to be found in a hiking boot rather than a running shoe.

All nine feet appear to have detached naturally, as a result of having spent a period of time in the water, officials said.

Six of the eight feet previously found have been identified.

The coroners service said it is working with several agencies and will use DNA testing to try to determine the identity of the person whose foot was recovered on the weekend.