On July 18, 2024, several members of the public contacted police to advise having view of the reported stolen red coloured Hewescraft boat reported only a couple hours earlier in the day. One caller managed to get a hold of the boat owner through local connections, and informed her the boat was tied to a buoy at Okanagan Centre.
West Kelowna RCMP attended via RCMP vessel with the owner and recovered the boat still tied to a buoy at Okanagan Centre while Lake Country RCMP located and recovered the trailer at the Lake Country boat launch. One caller reported having seen the boat out earlier in the morning with two occupants and possibly fishing.
“This is a great example of everyone coming together and returning this woman’s property,” says Cpl. Michael Gauthier Kelowna RCMP Detachment. “People recognized the boat from the media stories, phoned it in like we asked, and three of our local detachments played a part in recovering both the boat and the trailer. There is some damage to the ignition of the boat and a bit of a mess, however the owner is very happy.”
This matter remains under investigation and police are now asking anyone in the Okanagan Centre area who may have video or information regarding the launching of the boat to please phone the Kelowna RCMP and reference file number 2024-40578.
