Horror as dead husband's feet returned to terrified wife in bag
Annette Federspiel lost her husband Mark after he fell overboard a ferry.
A devastated widow has revealed how parts of her late husband's feet were still attached to a pair of socks in a bag of belongings returned to her following his death. Annette Federspiel, 58, discovered her partner's remains inside a bag of his possessions that was handed back to her by funeral directors last week.
She lost her husband, Mark, after he fell overboard a ferry travelling to Dunoon in Scotland on Father's Day. Mark, 64, had been travelling home from Gourock with Annette after visiting their daughter Lara 22. His body was discovered on Kilcreggan Beach on October 12.
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Annette described the moment she opened her husband's bag as "like something out of a horror film".
She said: "We got his belongings back and they absolutely stank. I took the things out and his socks were heavy, so I put my hands in and I touched Mark's feet.
"I started howling and ran into the kitchen to get gloves and I put my hands back into the socks and pulled out the soles of Mark's feet."
Police Scotland gave the green light for Caladh Funeral Directors to collect Mark's body and personal effects after a post-mortem, the Daily Record reports. His widow was then handed a bag containing parts of his remains.
Annette added: "His feet were attached to the bottom of the socks – his soles and heels. What had happened to Mark? Did no one realise his feet were hanging off in the mortuary?
"My 87-year-old father had to come round and tie up the bag of Mark's feet and take it outside before the funeral home could come to collect it."
Police Scotland told the outlet that they were not involved in returning Mark's belongings to his widow. A spokesperson said: "Police Scotland did not return any belongings in this case."
They had also previously confirmed that Mark's death is not being treated as suspicious.
A spokesperson for Caladh Funeral Directors added: "As a matter of policy, we do not comment on the specifics of individual cases, in order to protect the privacy of the families we support.
"We understand how sensitive these situations are, and our priority is always to provide care, compassion and dignity to every family and every person in our care."
