Tsunami-Tossed Harley-Davidson from Japan Washes Up in Canada

A shipping container holding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with Japanese plates was discovered on a beach in British Columbia, Canada. The container, which appears to be the cargo area of a box truck, is believed to be one of the first notable pieces of debris set adrift by the 2011 Japanese tsunami to land in North America.

Beachcomber Peter Mark discovered the containerwhile riding his ATV along an isolated beach on Graham Island, an island south of the Alaskan Panhandle.

“The door was ripped off it and I could see a motorcycle tire sticking out,” Mark told CBC News. “So I went closer and looked inside and saw a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.”

The Harley-Davidson Softail bears a license plate registered with the Miyagi Prefecture, which received the brunt of the damage from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami last March. The Softail was severely rusted, the license plate and VIN should provide enough information to identify the bike’s owner.

The container was made of a foam material which helped it remain afloat during its trans-continental journey. The cargo box also contained a couple of golf clubs, tools and camping equipment.

[Source: CBC via CMGOnline]

By Dennis Chung