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Noodles, coffee wash up on Treasure Coast

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UPDATED STORY:

Here in Florida, you come for the beaches.
 
On Wednesday, you stayed for the beached coffee.
 
"The weather was nice this morning, so we thought we would take advantage of it and come out and walk on the beach," says Nolan Bealle, who is visiting from North Carolina.

"Next thing you know, couple pounds of espresso to bring home."
 
A ship, traveling in the area last weekend, lost its cargo - Cargo that wound up scattered along Florida's beaches.
 
Beall and his friend Laura McKinney took full advantage.
 
"You gotta go to the store to get this one...the specialty stores," Beall says, holding up a package of Cuban espresso.  "But when I saw it, I was like 'ah, this is the good stuff!"
 
Exclusive video from Chopper 5 showed they weren't alone out there.
 
Several people could be seen hauling garbage bag full of coffee.
 
However, it wasn't just coffee waiting for beach goers.

"Found a bunch of dog food - A lot of its wet," said Ft. Pierce resident Joe Bahto, who was cradling a bag of that food. "There's paper towels, there's coffee, there's noodles."

Beall and McKinney's haul was just as unique.

"We got some bird feed here," Beall says "So that we can feed the birds in her aunts yard."
 
The company responsible for the cargo, Tote Maritime, is sending out officials to asses the damage, as the free spectacle has also left a messy shoreline.
 
The mess is a concern for many who appreciate the free stuff - but enjoy visiting a clean beach even more.
 
"There's a few things out tree that I think are pretty hazardous that I hope that they are able to clean up soon," Beall says.

Pictures NewsChannel 5 received from viewers show aerosol cans three miles off shore from the beaches of Ft. Pierce.

There are also reports that batteries were included in that cargo.

We've reached out to Tote Maritime, but have yet to hear back from them.

EARLIER STORY:

First it was coffee on the Space Coast. Now, noodles and coffee on the Treasure Coast.

Yellow-and-red packages of Cafe Bustelodotted the beach Tuesday in Indialantic.

And Ramen noodles, coffee, dog treats, dog food and bird seed have turned up in Indian River and St. Lucie counties.

They may have come from the barge Columbia Elizabeth that lost containers between Cape Canaveral and Palm Beach last weekend.

The Coast Guard estimates that as many as 25 containers may have fallen overboard at sea.

WPTV YouReporter Kathy Cochran said about 30 packages of Ramen noodles were discovered in the surf at Round Island Park in Indian River County Tuesday. She sent in a photo of one of the packages.

Chopper 5 found coffee and wooden pallets on the shore north of the Fort Pierce Inlet.

The barge that lost the containers is now at the Port of Palm Beach where it was being off-loaded.

Crews had removed 243 containers as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

It's advising boaters to keep an eye out for containers that may be adrift at sea.

One was loaded with wet cell batteries.  The Coast Guard says they contain corrosive material which could result in chemical burns to the skin. 

If you see a container or batteries you are urged not to touch them but to call the U.S. Coast Guard via VHF marine radio channel 16, the Coast Guard National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802, or your local fire or police department.

Information from the Associated Press, WESH and NBC NewsChannel contributed to this report.

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