Here is something for those who cant find a decent discussion...
By Rumple
@Rumple (301)
South Africa
January 24, 2007 4:37pm CST
I read an articel today about a ship that sank off the coast of Devon, England. Despite the 200 tons of oil that leaked out of the boat after it had been run aground, it lost a number of its containers due to force nine gales that just happened to be blowing at the time.
A total of 200 containers were lost overboard and apparently hundreds of people pitched up to claim themselves a souvenir or two or seven.
If you saw a ship that had sunk or that had been run aground, would you hurry over to try and get your hands on what ever nice goodies you could find in the nearby containers? Or would you try and help with the problem?
I think if the opportunity was there and it was something nice i would probably go ahead and help myslef... :P Someone told me that it is completely legal to do so but i was wondering if this was actually the case?
So the questions are... would you go ahead and take something or help? and is it legal to just take something that washed up on shore?
Feel free to add your own bits and pieces...
1 person likes this
3 responses
@Ginja_Ninja (15)
• South Africa
24 Jan 07
Of course is completely legal. It is maritime law and international law that states that cargo of an abandoned or wrecked ship is free for anyone to take. Unless a salvage company has move onto the scene and assumed physical control over the cargo, which means that ropes are attached or guards are posted. This is not the case in Devon as the cargo was washed ashore without any camplaints made by any salvage company.
The police in England stated it was illegal to take any of the cargo away, but that was hopeful scare tactics to attempt to limit the loss to insurance companies.
2 people like this
@Rumple (301)
• South Africa
24 Jan 07
Haha... dam those police and there scare tactics. So if they told you to leave it you would say, "ummm, sorry but it is legal for me to claim what i like from these containers as a salvage company has not arrived on scene." and then continue to rummagethrough the containers :) apparently there were some perfumes and battery acid and toxic chemicals... awesome mix dont you think :P
1 person likes this
@whitney8812 (29)
•
10 Feb 07
well i could always go and pick up a few things as helping them... i think its legal because it is just like dropping a tenner on the ground and who does that belong to? the next person who picks it up, if the owner didnt find out... but in this case, they can say who owns what because of the mess the wind and the sea have caused. as you might have seen the clips on the news, there were cars, watches and people are really helping themselves.. if i was living there i would ahve gone there and get some nice watches or whatever.. in a way thats being environmental friendly as well ;) ha
@Lydia1901 (16351)
• United States
30 Jan 07
I must say that the title was a bit misleading. Anyways, I would go and help. I do not like the idea of taking anything even though it is legal. I would take anything that is wash up on the shore because it is consider lost that way and I would feel better about it.
