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Police solve stolen kayak caper

Tourists tickled with police and B.C. Ferries after Nanaimo RCMP recovers stolen kayak
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Nanaimo Mounties recovered and delivered a kayak stolen from U.S. tourists. (File photo)

Some tourists from the U.S. thought they would be returning home from Nanaimo minus an expensive kayak after it was stolen from the top of their car.

Skip Moe, the kayak’s owner, explained in a letter to Nanaimo RCMP detachment commander Supt. Cameron Miller that he also shared with the News Bulletin, that he and his family reported the theft July 9 and then also flagged down a passing RCMP officer and asked him to keep an eye out for the craft.

According to Nanaimo RCMP, the theft happened at about 10 p.m. on July 8. The victims’ car was parked outside a motel on Nicol Street and the British-made, five-metre kayak was secured to the roof of the vehicle. Unbeknownst to Moe, Mounties found the kayak at 10:30 a.m. about one block away in a field near the motel.

“Since there was little we could do, we left to catch the ferry to Tsawwassen,” Moe wrote in the letter.

But just as the ferry started to sail, the constable they flagged down called to say he’d found their kayak and it was being stored in the detachment garage.

The family decided to return immediately to Nanaimo, but then received another call from the detachment telling them to wait at Tsawwassen because staff could put the kayak on a subsequent ferry sailing.

“[Pat] Wilkinson and Kirby Anderson took our kayak to the Duke Point ferry terminal and talked the ferry crew into delivering it to us,” Moe said. “It arrived in good shape, as promised.”

The letter went on to praise the service from Nanaimo detachment officers and staff “that far exceeds any expectations … I would imagine that their performance also reflects the leadership that you and others provide.”

Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said thieves will often stash large stolen items not far from where they were taken until they can get a vehicle to transport them away.

“Of course it’s very disconcerting because [the victims] were visiting our community … We’re very pleased they got their kayak back and hopefully they’ll return to our beautiful city one day,” he said.

photos@nanaimobulletin.com