Ntl' Seashore officials say piles of trash washing up on OBX beaches may have come from nearby Navy ship

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston-Riggs

Published May 1, 2023 at 11:39 AM EDT

Officials say based on what they found in the trash, it came from a Navy ship.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the Town of Nags Head have seen plastic, metal, paper and fabric debris washing up along about 25 miles of beaches, from Nags Head to the villages of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo.

It started washing up last Thursday, and officials said what they found in the trash leads them to believe it may have come from a U.S. Navy vessel near the northeastern coast of North Carolina.

Staff from the Seashore and other organizations have been picking up the trash over the last three days and expect to continue to do so in the days ahead.

The U.S. Navy is investigating.

Annette Weston-Riggs

Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. She has been involved in the media industry in eastern North Carolina for more than three years. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to ENC to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of toddler and baby cuddling, reading, designing costumes for children’s theater and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.

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