Two young boys, aged six and eight, were approached by a man outside a restaurant on Main Street in Whistler and asked to come with him to “play in the woods.”
The children refused and the man, who was described as a white male in his 50s, called them a name and left without further confrontation.
The incident occurred at 7:40 p.m. on Thurs., August 29, said Staff Sgt. Steve Leclair of the Whistler RCMP detachment.
“He yelled at them and left. Obviously, these child abductions are rare in Canada, especially stranger-on-stranger abductions, so we are putting it out to the public as a precaution. We remind everyone to know where your children are at all times,” Leclair said in an interview.
The man was further described as balding with blond hair and wore a black t-shirt and black jeans. He has a medium build, approximately 5'10” and was clean-shaven and possibly wearing glasses.
Leclair added that officers conducted extensive foot and vehicle patrols in the village as soon as the complaint came in. No other incidents of the sort were reported but the RCMP will continue their patrols in an effort to identify this man, he said.
Leclair shared the following safety tips:
• Be sure you know where your children are at all times and when they are supposed to return home.
• Never leave a small child alone — at home or in the car — even for just a few minutes.
• Explain that rides should never be accepted without consultation with the parent, even if the child knows the individual.
More safety tips are available at: http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=87&languageId=1&contentId=21081.
If anyone has general information please call the Whistler detachment at 604-932-3044.
Pique will update as more information becomes available.
