Annette Federspiel, 58, was given a bag of her husband Mark’s belongings by a funeral director – but when she opened it, she found his feet were still in his socks
A widow was left traumatised after being handed her dead husband’s socks with parts of his feet still inside them. An MSP has now called for an investigation after Annette Federspiel was given a bag containing her partner’s possessions by a funeral director last week.
Within the bag was a pair of socks that still had the soles of her husband Mark’s feet attached to them. Mark died after he fell overboard a ferry travelling to Dunoon on Father’s Day. The 64-year-old had been travelling home from Gourock to Dunoon with his wife after visiting their 22-year-old daughter Lara on the mainland.
His body was discovered on Kilcreggan Beach, on the Rosneath Peninsula, on the morning of Sunday, October 12, reports the Daily Record. Annette, 58 described the moment she opened the 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. 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.”
Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice MSP Pauline McNeill branded the incident as “deeply distressing” and is now calling for an investigation into the mishandling of human remains.
She said: “This is understandably a deeply distressing incident for the family and friends of Mr Federspiel. No-one should have to experience such a thing, and I express my condolences to Ms Federspiel, Lara, and all those who knew him.
“There are clearly very serious questions to be asked about this incident and how this could have happened. An investigation into this concerning situation should be carried out to establish the facts about what happened and why.”
Mark, who was a US Navy diver, was reported missing from the vessel at around 1pm on June 15 after he failed to return from the toilet. Annette said she raised the alarm just seven minutes later.
It’s known that the father had been undergoing treatment for a rare type of leukaemia, with the medication’s side effects often causing him to be unsteady on his feet.
Mark and Annette had recently returned to her hometown of Dunoon, after many years in the United States, and were excited about their retirement in Scotland.
In his role as a diver, Mark was tasked with dismantling explosives underwater and earned the nickname “Mark the Shark” due to his swift work pace.
Police have previously confirmed that Mark’s death is not being treated as suspicious.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We understand this was a distressing experience for the family and our thoughts remain with them.
“Police Scotland instructed the clothes be disposed of following a post-mortem examination due to their poor condition and were not made aware of the decision to return them to the family.
“As soon as we became aware, we arranged for the items to be collected and disposed of correctly.”
A representative for Caladh Funeral Directors stated: “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.”
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