A rescue operation was nearly thwarted in the Cowichan Valley last Friday after thieves stole fuel from a rescue truck.
Crews were called to a rescue near Skutz Falls on the Cowichan River, but the operation had to be delayed because they found they had no gas.
A fisherman had to wait in the water for two hours after his boat sank.
This is just the latest fuel heist the Cowichan Search and Rescue team has had to deal with in recent months.
Cowichan SAR Manager Tina Phillips says they don’t know how to stop the thefts.
“What could have really hampered this rescue was the near empty fuel tank on one of our rescue trucks, which one of our members noticed. It seems the gas had been syphoned from our truck, which is parked in a locked compound, so it had to be refuelled before attending the scene,” the search and rescue posted on their Facebook page.
The team borrowed a boat from the Lake Cowichan fire department to rescue the fisherman, who managed to stay in one spot for hours before being rescued. This probably saved him from being washed down river.
Comments