Editorial: Thieves on beach hard to fathom

To add to that frustration the concern that his children's things may be being stolen on the beach is downright cruel.

The news that Rena had split in two was likely to have been met by a range of emotions on Sunday morning.

Disappointment that the salvors were unable to get all the containers off before the inevitable happened was probably one.

Fears for our coastline given the number of containers still on board was another likely one.

Some may have even been relieved that the thing had finally broken up properly and the nervous waiting game had finally ended. But it's hard to understand that while most of us were feeling these natural reactions there could be other people out there who were only thinking of how they could benefit when the containers inevitably came to shore.

Rena's containers did wash ashore, this time at Waihi Beach, and while many have been down for a look at the mess that's piling up there, the police have told us that looters were also poking around, looking for what they could take.

Given the beach was covered with bags of milk powder yesterday it's hard to imagine what they could have got from their efforts. Add to that the fact the response team haven't been able to locate the containers full of dangerous goods and it makes their crime even harder to fathom.

What material thing could really be worth becoming Rena's first human casualty or at the very least impeding the container recovery process?

I can only imagine how heartbreaking the news that there are mongrels out there ready to do this must have struck Tauranga's Fellows family.

Craig Fellows has woken every day since Rena hit the reef on October 5, not knowing if he would see his family's precious belongings again.

Even with some containers removed by the crane barge Smit Borneo and some recovered from the first loss overboard, the Fellows family aren't sure where their container is. It must be incredibly frustrating, and to add to that frustration the concern that his children's things may be being stolen on the beach is downright cruel.

The number plates of those thought to have been stealing from the containers have apparently been recorded.

Here's hoping the police catch up with them soon and those responsible are made to pay for their thoughtless actions. If you know who these people were, make sure you pass any information on to the police.

Rena has put the Bay through enough and Waihi Beach has enough on its hands, without these people giving the beachside town a bad name.