A volunteer plucks what looks like the torso of a woman from a river and calls out, "Mannequin!" A few steps away, someone jots the word down.
It is among the many weird discoveries made statewide each year on Coastal Cleanup Day. This year's event, to be held Saturday, includes 15 sites throughout Ventura County.
According to cleanup organizers, it takes a lot of volunteers to make a difference. More than 45,000 of them collected 644,801 pounds of trash and 57,262 pounds of recyclables during last year's statewide cleanup.
Some strange things get tossed away, including wigs, clothing, a voodoo doll and a pet rat's coffin, said John Brand, coordinator of Saturday's litter patrol.
