A tourist strolling on a beach in Washington state discovered a human foot Friday, the ninth to wash up on the West Coast in the last three years.

The detached right foot — likely belonging to a woman or child, based on the size — washed up on Whidbey Island Friday just before 11:30 a.m., according to Det. Ed Wallace of the Island County Sheriff's office.

The island is located in Puget Sound, 40 kilometres north of Seattle.

The tourist called police, who secured the scene and scoured the beach for other human remains, Wallace said.

None were found, so the bare foot was sent to the Island County Coroner's office for DNA testing and forensic examination early next week.

Based on the level of decomposition, police are estimating the foot has been in the water for less than two months, Wallace said.

"At this point, it appears there's no trauma to it," Wallace said.

Because of the island's position in the Strait of Georgia, it's not unusual for bodies, torsos, legs and arms to wash ashore, he said.

"This is the first single foot that's shown up."

There was no skin left on the foot, so police can't do a race identification, he said.

Wallace said there are no missing people in his jurisdiction that match the remains, so his office will contact surrounding police departments, including the RCMP.

RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Annie Linteau said E Division major crime investigators will contact U.S. officials on Monday.

"Obviously it's something we've gained a fair amount of expertise in .... and if we can render assistance to them we will."

She said investigators will compare DNA from the latest foot to forensic samples from people reported missing across the province.

The foot is the ninth to wash up since 2007.

• The first foot was found on Aug. 20, 2007, on Jedediah Island, northeast of Nanaimo. The right, male foot was found in a Campus shoe, size 12, available for sale primarily in India. It was subsequently linked to a depressed man who went missing in early 2007.

• The next one turned up on Gabriola Island six days later on Aug. 26, 2007. It was a right, male foot in a size 12 Reebok shoe. The brand was first produced in 2004 and is no longer for sale.

• The third foot, right and belonging to a male, was found on Feb. 8, 2008, on Valdes Island. It was in a blue and white Nike, size 11. The model was made between February and June 2003.

• The fourth foot was found on May 22, 2008, on Kirkland Island at the mouth of the Fraser River. This time, it was a right female foot in a size 7 New Balance shoe. The model was made beginning in June 1999.

• The fifth foot was found on Westham Island at the mouth of the Fraser River on June 16, 2008. It was a left, male foot and DNA testing has matched it with the foot found on Valdes, but the man's identity is unknown.

• The sixth foot was found Aug. 1, 2008, near Pysht, west of Port Angeles, Wash. A right, male foot, it was found in a size 11 or 12 men's low-rise, dark hiking-type athletic shoe, made by the Everest Shoe Co.

• The seventh foot was found Nov. 11, 2008, on a Fraser River beach in Richmond. A left, female foot, it was matched through DNA testing with the foot found on Kirkland Island, and the woman was identified.

• Then on Oct. 29, 2009, a right foot was found inside a white size 8 1/2 Nike running shoe on a beach in Richmond

In the previous cases, foul play was not suspected and police said the feet likely became detached through decomposition.

There have also been hoaxes.

On June 18, 2008, what was thought to be a foot washed up near Campbell River. It was later discovered that someone had placed the bones of an animal's foot in a sock and packed it inside a sneaker with seaweed.

Then in September of that year, someone placed a plastic foot in a runner on an East Vancouver beach.

kderosa@tc.canwest.com