Barriere RCMP Detachment
On June 18, Barriere RCMP responded to a report of a possible theft in progress. The report was that three males were loading possibly stolen ATV’s into a rental trailer. When the officer arrived, a male ran into the bushes. Three brand new non-assembled Arctic Cat ATV’s were observed to be hidden in the bushes, and an additional ATV was partially loaded into the trailer. The males were located shortly after, and were arrested for possession of stolen property. The top end, side by side ATV’s were confirmed to have been stolen the night prior from the Kamloops area; the estimated value was approximately $80,000. Through the investigation, members located two additional stolen rental vans which were used in the theft. Three more males were taken into custody on a related matter in Barriere later in the evening.
Two days earlier, on the evening of June 16, Barriere RCMP received a report that an emergency spot beacon had been placed into emergency mode. The exact coordinates were relayed to the Barriere RCMP, and indicated that the beacon was North of Bonaparte Lake. An attempt was made to locate the person immediately, however road conditions, deactivations, and limited light forced the search to be put off until morning.
At 8 a.m., Barriere RCMP along with Barriere Search and Rescue located the site of the beacon using the RCMP helicopter. It appeared as if a vehicle became stuck, and the driver had later managed to get the vehicle out.
Contact was made with the owner of the beacon, he advised that he was uninjured, and co-workers had located him after he did not return in the early morning hours. He said he had become stuck nearly 20 hours prior, and was still attempting to recover the vehicle.
This is a good example of how preparation before entering the back country, and notification of travel plans, can avoid tragic circumstances if unplanned events occur.
