Emanuel Hölfing is happy to have his camper-truck back after it was stolen by thieves posing as potential buyers on Dec. 30.
Thanks to the help of the community and police, Hölfing was reunited with his camper just one day after it was stolen.
“I had so many people that helped me out, and I’m so glad to have almost the entire Penticton community help me.”
Hölfing had posted his camper for sale and the pair of prospective buyers asked to take the truck on a test drive, to make sure it was highway-ready, according to Hölfing. They gave him their car keys and a piece of ID. But he grew concerned when they didn’t return.
“I wanted to be a good seller,” said Hölfing. “I was in the Safeway parking lot just waiting, and they didn’t come back.”
Once it became clear that the camper wasn’t coming back, Hölfing contacted the RCMP, who picked up the ID and keys. Hölfing also posted his stolen camper on a Penticton Facebook page.
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The camper was spotted in Peachland, and after Hölfing received a message about it, the RCMP tracked it down and took the thieves into custody.
One thing that Hölfing wanted to stress, besides his gratitude to the community, was how surprised he was at the lack of support from ICBC following the theft.
The whole incident has done nothing to dent how much Hölfing loves Penticton.
“Every foreigner, every tourist should see Penticton,” said Hölfing. “I’ve seen a lot of B.C. and I’ve been all over B.C. and Alberta, Penticton is, in my opinion, one of if not the best city in B.C.
“The Penticton community is extremely strong when it comes to the Canadian dream and the Canadian thinking of helping anyone regardless of their situation.”
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The camper wasn’t damaged, and Hölfing still plans to sell it, although next time, he won’t be letting a prospective buyer take it for a test drive without him.
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