Tourists clean up beach littered with TVs and toys after cargo ship loses containers

"First, we thought it was funny," Oldenburg told CNN. "I even found a pair of sandals that fit my size and kept them."

"But then we realized it was actually a catastrophe." As they walked up the sandy beach, the couple stumbled upon more shoes, car parts, chairs, pillows and even Ikea furniture.

So, along with other tourists and local residents, they rolled up their sleeves and helped local authorities with the clean-up.

"We're cleaning the beach right now, with hundreds of people. It's very touching," ten Cate told CNN.

The odd discovery is part of the content inside 270 containers that fell off the Panamanian-flagged MSC Zoe cargo ship in rough seas off the German island of Borkum, according to the Dutch coast guard. A total of 21 containers washed up the Dutch islands of Vlieland, Terschelling and Ameland.

In a tweet Wednesday, the coast guard warned the public not to touch the containers, because three were carrying organic peroxides, which can cause irritation.

Other people posted pictures of the odd objects they spotted on the beach, including toy cars, Flat TVs, freezers, Ikea chairs, computer chips and shoes. Lots of shoes.