By Spencer Sterritt

UPDATE: Nanaimo family ecstatic after stolen bike returned

Aug 21, 2018 | 5:45 PM

NANAIMO — A local family is over the moon and has their faith in humanity restored after a stolen bike was returned on Tuesday night. 

The roughly $400 BMX bike was stolen from outside Carlos O’Bryans on Monday while 15-year-old Lucas Kurt was at work. He’d gotten his first ever job working at the pub to save up money for the bike. After enjoying it for less than three days, he rode to work on Monday, secured the bike with a U-Lock and came out later to find his new bike missing.

Then on Tuesday night, his mother Krystal Vetten confirmed to NanaimoNewsNOW the bike was returned to the family after being found in downtown Nanaimo’s tent city. 

“A big huge unbelievable thanks (to the man) who went down to tent city and bought Lucas Kurt his bike back,” she posted on Facebook Tuesday night. “There are no words to express the gratitude. Definitely restored our faith in humanity!”

She said a young man went into tent city and found the bike, which he bought back for $50 and returned to the family. 

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“The world needs more people in it like this guy,” Vetten posted. 

She’d previously told NanaimoNewsNOW the family had lost their faith in much of humanity after the bike was taken. 

“We’ve been telling him if he wants something bad enough, he has to work for it and earn his way. So that’s exactly what he did. (Now) he doesn’t know what to do,” she’d said. 

In previous comments to NanaimoNewsNOW, RCMP said between one and five bikes are stolen a day in Nanaimo, with upwards of 600 taken every year.

Less than 30 per cent are recovered.

If anyone has seen Lucas’ bike, they’re urged to call Nanaimo RCMP.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit