RCMP find missing Penticton man in camper van; immobilized with back injury

PENTICTON – A man and his pets spent a much more comfortable Christmas than they otherwise would have, thanks to efforts of Penticton RCMP.

Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says the RCMP followed up after a man reported his friend missing on Friday evening, Dec. 23.

The man hadn’t heard from his friend, who was homeless and lived in his camper van, for several days.

Police located the friend's vehicle at the rec centre at 2:30 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 24. He was found on his back on the floor of the van with his dog and two cats nearby.

The man had been stuck in the van since Thursday after he was immobilized by a ruptured disc in his back, Wrigglesworth says.

Police called an ambulance for the man, then secured, watered and fed the animals prior to delivering them to the friend who made the initial report to police.

Wrigglesworth says the injured man, who is otherwise in good health, will be in hospital for some time.

— This story was updated at 12 p.m. Dec. 27 to correct the date of the man's reported disappearance. Thank you to reader Janet Weir who spotted the error and let us know.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.