While a group of volunteer heroes was out in the woods rescuing a seven-year-old Chilliwack girl, thieves were also at work behind them.
"Yesterday, our members were heavily involved with the search for the missing seven-year-old in Chilliwack. Unfortunately, while assisting with the extraction of the girl, our members had their gear stolen from the scene," Coquitlam Search and Rescue wrote on social media on May 3.
They, along with Chilliwack Search and Rescue, Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue, and others all helped locate Lily Coursol on Friday, May 2 who went missing the day before in the Chilliwack River Valley area.
"The majority of our member's gear is self-funded and will need to be replaced to be operational on future tasks; this keeps everyone safe. This gear will cost tens of thousands of dollars to replace."
A GoFundMe page was set up by Chilliwack resident Amber Price to help raise money to replace the stolen gear. It is estimated that each bag contained between $4,000 and $5,000 worth of gear.
UPDATE:
By about 1:30 p.m. on May 3, a total of $9,780 had been raised and the fundraiser had been paused.
"(Coquitlam SAR) would like to reassure volunteers and the public that, on authorized tasks such as this, stolen or damaged equipment is covered through Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, the provincial program," the update read, in part. "As such, we are pausing this GoFundMe."
To read the full GoFundMe update, go to gofundme.com/f/replace-these-heroes-stolen-backpacks-and-belongings.
Price is encouraging folks who still wish to help, to make a donation to Chilliwack Search and Rescue which was the lead search-and-rescue organization for this mission. Chilliwack Search and Rescue just moved into their new headquarters earlier this year and they still need to raise about $750,000 for the $4.3 million facility. To donate, go to chilliwacksar.org/donate.
