The Penticton paddling community recently fell victim to two separate thefts, according to race director and coach for the Penticton Dragon Boat Festival, Don Mulhall.
Two pieces of equipment have been reported stolen from the Skaha Lake boathouse over two weeks.
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The first item stolen was a 250-pound dolly used to move dragon boats around the paddling compound as well as in and out of the lake.
The dolly was later located by police with both wheels missing.
The second item to be stolen, less than two weeks later, was an automated external defibrillator (AED) located on the front of the paddling club’s boathouse.
Mulhall has security footage of the thefts and believes the two items were stolen by the same person.
Police are unable to locate the suspect, Mulhall said and further added the person is known to them.
“Both thefts seem so senseless. The dragon boat dolly is really heavy, and it’s only really good for moving 850-pound dragon boats around. And although we have the dolly back, we’ve had to replace the lock on our compound, pay to have the dolly transported back, and we’ve got to buy two new wheels,” Mulhall said.
“And the AED, you can’t do anything else with it besides saving lives. 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.”
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