PEI

Handcrafted stolen boat recovered on P.E.I.

A handcrafted wooden row boat that was stolen earlier this month has been found.

The boat was found close to Hope River in central Queens County

Gus Hillstrom (right) and his father Bruce pick up the boat that was stolen from them three weeks ago. (Facebook/Gus Hillstrom)

A handcrafted wooden row boat that was stolen earlier this month has been found.

"It's a great day," said the boat's owner, Gus Hillstrom.

The boat was handcrafted by Hillstrom's father, and holds sentimental value.

On Friday, Hillstrom received a call from RCMP telling him they believed the boat had been found in central Queens County, close to Hope River, P.E.I., where it went missing.

Gus Hillstrom's row boat has been recovered in central Queens County. (Gus Hillstrom)

After he got the call, Hillstrom and his father hooked up the trailer, and went out to take a look.

They confirmed the boat was the one.

'Amazing' outpouring of support

Hillstrom posted to Facebook about the boat when it was stolen, and said he was amazed by how many people shared his post, and looked for his boat.

"Everywhere I go everybody asks me if I've found my boat," he said.

The boat holds sentimental value because it was handcrafted by Hillstrom's father, Bruce. (Gus Hillstrom)

"Even if it hadn't been found, it was still amazing what happened just with all the outpouring of support."

His plans for tonight? To take a row at the Charlottetown Yacht Club.

"If anyone wants to drop down and we have an opportunity to take some other people out for a row, we will," he said.

With files from Natalia Goodwin