Canadian buoy drifts across Atlantic, washes up on shore of Irish island

Officials in northwestern Ireland say they’re working to recover a large Canadian buoy that floated across the Atlantic Ocean and washed up on a coastal island.

A news release from Mayo County Council says the mariner marker, weighing in at roughly 3.5 tonnes, came ashore on Achill Island, known for its rugged mountains and bright sandy beaches.

It says council was told by the Canadian Coast Guard that its buoys, while “very friendly,” have quite the habit of drifting far from home.

The council is looking to recover the buoy so as to prevent it from floating away and becoming a hazard to vessels or coastal infrastructure.