Shipping containers lost overboard from 2 vessels off the Isle of Wight during Storm Goretti have now started to wash ashore on the mainland coast, HM Coastguard has confirmed.
At 07:50 on Tuesday morning (13th January), Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Team responded to reports of 3 containers coming ashore at Seaford in East Sussex.
Meanwhile, a container drifting off Littlehampton has been successfully recovered by a contracted salvage vessel.
Additional containers have since been identified at several coastal locations including Selsey, Eastbourne, Newhaven, Rustington, Rottingdean and Beachy Head. These units are currently being monitored, with aerial surveillance ongoing.
A fixed-wing HM Coastguard aircraft was deployed on Wednesday morning to assist in locating further missing cargo.
It comes after Island Echo previously reported that more than a dozen containers had gone overboard during bad weather on 8th January, with several located drifting at sea off the Isle of Wight. Until now, none had been confirmed as making landfall.
Authorities have reiterated that the contents of the lost containers have been confirmed as non-hazardous, based on cargo manifests from the 2 vessels involved – Liberian-flagged reefer vessel Lombok Strait and Cypriot-flagged cargo vessel Condor Valapariso.
Recovery of all containers remains the legal responsibility of the vessels’ operators. HM Coastguard says it is continuing to liaise with both shipping representatives and salvage crews.
Sightings of containers at sea or ashore should be reported to Solent Coastguard on 0344 382 0560 or via VHF radio. Any non-perishable wreck material that arrives on shore – including cargo – must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck within 28 days via www.gov.uk/report-wreck-material.
