Pickleball Kelowna Club Defibrillator Theft: The Pickleball Kelowna Club is asking for the return of a vital medical device stolen from its storage bin at the Parkinson Centre between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Thieves took thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment, including three leaf blowers, but the biggest loss is an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Theft Before Major Tournament
The AED, used to help someone in cardiac arrest, was taken just days before the club’s annual Kelowna Fall Frenzy tournament. Carly Penfold, Pickleball Kelowna Club’s executive officer said
“It was devastating. It was just really hurtful. We’ve really done a lot of fundraising with our tournaments to get this equipment.”
Past Life-Saving Use
For club member Craig McMillan, the theft is especially painful. “Extremely disappointing,” McMillan told Global News. He used the same defibrillator two years ago to save a friend’s life during the same tournament.
“I was able to start literally within seconds of him going down,” (Craig McMillan).
His quick action was recognized by B.C. Emergency Health Services last week.
Police Investigation
The club reported the theft to the Kelowna RCMP, who are asking anyone with information to contact them. Members are pleading for the AED’s return.
“Drop it off here in the middle of the night. No questions asked. I can’t imagine the person, if they had any conscience at all, would have to live with that,
that someone could go down, we would have had a piece of equipment that could have helped save their life, and it wasn’t available because someone took it.”(Craig McMillan)
Community Impact
The missing AED leaves the volunteer-run club without a critical safety tool during its biggest event of the year. Club leaders hope the thief will return the device before the tournament begins to ensure players and visitors remain safe.
News in Brief: Pickleball Kelowna Club Defibrillator Theft
Thieves broke into the Pickleball Kelowna Club’s storage bin at the Parkinson Centre, stealing equipment including a life-saving defibrillator. The theft happened days before the club’s Fall Frenzy tournament. Police are investigating, and club members urge the thief to return the device anonymously to avoid a potential tragedy.
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