Grinch-like thieves steal Okanagan man's livelihood
It will be a Christmas Doug Bankert will never forget — but for all the wrong reasons.
The Lake Country carpenter and handyman woke up on Boxing Day morning, Dec. 26, only to discover that his livelihood — his truck and trailer containing all of his tools had been stolen.
"I was making breakfast and looked out the window and it was gone," Bankert said. "I was in absolute panic, hyperventilating, pacing back and forth, I almost threw up."
Bankert called the police and posted photos of the truck and trailer on Facebook.
Shortly after, he got a call from the police and a local resident who lives on Pada Road in Oyama saying they had found Bankert's trailer, but no truck.
"The trailer was unhooked from the truck and left in the middle of the road empty," he said.
Bankert had been collecting his tools for 16 years — none of them insured, only the trailer and truck.
"That's my entire livelihood in that trailer," Bankert said.
He said the thieves knew the back roads.
"I'm positive that these are local guys. You don't just go to Pada Road because it's out there," Bankert said.
Bankert has been on the phone with ICBC but because it's the holiday season, he's not expecting any miracles.
"The insurance adjuster is going to call me in a week or so. Looks like I got to go and get a rental vehicle. It's going to be hard to scrounge money together to get a rental because it's Christmas."
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