wash up

[sejpdw]

On May 27, 1990, a cargo ship carrying goods from Korea to the United States in the Pacific Ocean dumped twenty-one of its cargo containers into the sea during a storm. Five of those containers were packed with 80,000 pairs of Nike athletic shoes.Scientists collected data on the sneakers washing up on shore.

In my opinion,'washed up' is a right expression. The sentence seems like "The body was found washed up on a beach." What's your opinion?

[Bridget]

Yes, you're right. It means "carried onto land by river or sea".

[Marius Hancu]

sneakers washing up: were carried to the land even then, at the time of collection

sneakers that (had) washed up: had been carried to the shore before that

I prefer the 2nd.