On Saturday, 6 December 2025, a total of 16 shipping containers fell overboard from the refrigerated vessel Baltic Klipper while anchored near the Nab Tower in the Solent. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the crew, and the cargo was deemed non-hazardous.
The lost containers contained various goods, including eight filled with bananas, two with plantains, one with avocados, and five that were empty. By the afternoon of Sunday, 7 December, five of the containers were reported to have washed ashore at Selsey. In response, emergency services, including HM Coastguard, West Sussex Fire & Rescue, and Sussex Police, quickly established cordons and restricted public access to the affected areas. Aerial searches were conducted by helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft in an attempt to locate the remaining containers.
By Monday, 8 December, authorities confirmed that 11 out of the 16 containers had reached the West Sussex coast: seven at Selsey, two at Pagham Harbour, and two at Bognor Regis. Local councils — Arun District Council, Chichester District Council, and West Sussex County Council — contracted specialist teams to begin clearing the cargo and debris from the affected shorelines. The public has been strongly urged not to approach any containers or wreckage along the coast.
The public is advised to report any wreck material, excluding perishable goods, to the official Receiver of Wreck. Authorities emphasized that sightings of additional containers should be reported immediately. Cleanup teams are actively recovering debris, with local authorities providing updates on the ongoing operation.
As of now, the authorities continue to monitor maritime traffic and ensure the safety of the local area. Warnings have been issued to ships in the region to stay clear of the ongoing operation. The situation remains under active coordination with the vessel’s owners to recover the remaining containers and resolve the incident.
For further updates on the situation, West Sussex County Council has pledged to provide more information through their official channels as the cleanup progresses.
