Canadian, U.S. Coast Guard working to recover shipping containers knocked into Pacific Ocean
Credit: Canadian Coast Guard
NEAH BAY, Wash. - Shipping containers knocked from a cargo ship near the Strait of Juan de Fuca have drifted dozens of miles out into the Pacific Ocean.
The Canadian and U.S. Coast Guard are tracking containers lost from the Zim Kingston while navigating choppy waters last Friday. Authorities say 40 containers went overboard, and as of Monday are roughly 12 nautical miles west of Vancouver Island.
Coast Guard modelling of the containers’ trajectory does not show them moving to the shore, but if any do, people are urged not to open them, as two of the containers contain the hazardous chemical potassium amylxanthate. The chemicals caused a fire in the containers while still aboard the Zim Kingston.
Efforts to recover these containers were delayed until this weekend's bomb cyclone passed through, officials said.
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