The Maltese registered 6,000 tonne cargo ship MD Kodima got into difficulty on 2nd February 2002 when, during heavy weather, its cargo of timber shifted which created a substantial starboard list.
The cargo of 4,000m3 of timber was jettisoned from the vessel and washed up at Whitsand Bay, Cornwall.
DSW operatives were called in by Marine Consultants and employed by the ships insurers to carry out the beach clean up operation. Plant, equipment and labour was mobilised and the clean up operation began.
The cargo had not only washed up on the beach but due to the weather conditions and effects of the tide became buried within the sand up to approximately 15 feet deep. The surface timber was collected and transported from site, following this the beach had to be excavated and sifted to remove the buried timber.
All of the cargo was retained for resale or recycling which reduced the environmental impact of the incident.
