Dragonboaters livid after gear goes missing twice in a month
The Okanagan Weekend
Dragonboaters in Penticton are breathing fire after a pair of thefts over the past few weeks.
The first item to sort of go missing from the Skaha Lake boathouse was a dolly used to move the long crafts in and out of the water. It appears the thief was trying to attach the dolly, which weighs about 115 kilograms, to a bike, but it was too heavy to move, so the dolly frame was left behind. It wheels were taken, though, and found later by police at a local motel.
The next item to vanish was an automated external defibrillator, which was attached to the front of the boathouse for public access.
“We have a photograph of the alleged AED thief because the AED case has an alarm, as well as a security camera that is activated when opened,” Don Mulhall, coach and race director for the Penticton Dragon Boat Festival, said.
“We also have the suspect’s name from posting his picture on Facebook. But the police are unable to locate the individual, although he is known to them, and are unsure whether charges could be laid in the theft.”
Mulhall described both thefts as “so senseless.” “The AED, you can’t do anything else with it besides saving lives,” he said.
“The local paddling community put a lot of work into fundraising for the unit, and donated it to the City of Penticton. The staff at Action First Aid have been very gracious in offering us a loaner for the time being, but I hesitate to put another AED at risk. We can’t afford to keep replacing things that are being stolen,” said Mulhall.
The Penticton Dragon Boat Festival annually attracts thousands of paddlers from B.C. and beyond for three days of competition in midSeptember on Skaha Lake.
This year’s event is still a go for Sept. 11-13 based on current health order estimates.