By Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck

During the past week Columbia Valley RCMP responded to about 85 calls for service. The following is a small but interesting sample of those calls.

Keeping an eye out for gas thieves

During the afternoon hours of June 6, Columbia Valley RCMP members were on routine patrol in Kootenay National Park when they were notified of an ongoing theft. One of the contractors working in the area reported that while their equipment was being stored in the park, unknown subjects had taken some fuel from parked machinery. The RCMP and representatives discussed putting up some surveillance equipment to monitor the equipment and identify those responsible. RCMP will monitor the situation in attempts to catch the thieves.

Westside Road crash

On June 9 at about 9 p.m., Columbia Valley RCMP was dispatched to a single vehicle collision on Westside Road, approximately three km north of Wilmer. RCMP attended with ambulance attendants and fire personnel already on scene.

The passenger was immediately identified and was reportedly uninjured, although intoxicated. He advised that the driver, who was still in the car, came around a sharp corner at about 70 km/h and lost control on the washboard / gravel. They went off the embankment about 150 feet before striking a tree in the tree line.

Emergency crews successfully extracted the driver from the vehicle and he was quickly taken to Invermere and District Hospital for assessment. While at the hospital, both the RCMP and physician deemed that alcohol was not involved. Fortunately the injuries did not threaten his life.

Mooring buoy thefts remains a mystery

During the morning of June 12, Columbia Valley RCMP received a report that sometime between April 22 and May 3 a mooring buoy had been stolen from the lake. The complainant reported that the mooring buoy was in the water of Lake Windermere located out front of Windermere Point Condos. The report went on to say that three other mooring buoys belonging to some neighbours also went missing. One mooring buoy is approximately worth about $500.  If anyone has any information about this missing marine equipment, they are asked to call the detachment.

Elder recognizes game of persist scam callers

During the same morning of June 12, a 92-year-old resident of Invermere called to report that she was receiving numerous phone calls over the past two weeks from the Internal Revenue Department. She went on to say that the Revenue person says that she was listed as liable for criminal activity.

Recognizing the scam, she quickly ended the conversation without providing any pertinent information. We have seen a large increase of calls to the detachment relating to this scam. If you get one of these calls, be like this intelligent young woman and end the conversation. Revenue Canada will never threaten arrest or use a threatening tone. They will not ask for immediate payment, nor payment in any type of gift cards.

Some other interesting statistics from the week include seven motor vehicle incidents, 11 traffic complaints, and four frauds, all related to different scams.

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