A Central Saanich man is hoping the public can help him recover his boat after it was stolen from a driveway in broad daylight.
Walter Sly’s 16-foot Eagle Craft aluminum boat with a 50 horsepower Mercury engine was stolen sometime between 7:40 and 9:30 a.m. Friday, July 17 from a driveway in the 2000-block of Stellys Cross Road, where the vessel rested on a trailer with a heavy-duty cable lock. The trailer hitch was also locked.
CS File #2020-2165
2000 block Stelly’s X-Rd
July 17, 2020, 7:40-9:30am, boat trailer "WBL73S", 16' aluminium Eagle Craft boat, 50HP Mercury motor, & 2 Scotty downriggers, were all stolen. Any info/witnesses pls call Cst Ball @ 250-652-5541. To report anon, @viccrimestop. #csaan pic.twitter.com/7l3BP6rJbb— cspoliceservice (@cspoliceservice) July 18, 2020
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Sly said he has no idea who might have stolen the boat, which he had last used about three weeks ago. “It has been sitting there for four years and I guess people drive by it every day.”
He added the officer handling his case told him about a week ago police had received a report of three individuals driving a Nissan Leaf who were “noticed driving around checking out the boat.”
Sly invested about $16,000 into the boat, having rebuilt it. “But if I have to replace that boat because it was built so long ago, you’d probably be looking around $35,000,” he noted.
That figure, of course, does not capture the emotional aspect of losing a boat that Sly has been using for fishing, as well as spending time with his children and grandchildren. The boat might not be fancy, he said later, but it holds sentimental value.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Central Saanich Police Department at 250-652-5541 and ask for Const. Ball or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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