Wannabe thieves at an old Carcross mine site appear to have been thwarted by a partially washed out bridge.
Thieves broke into the old Mount Skookum site at the end of Annie Lake Road twice during the month of May.
The most recent break-and-enter and theft happened sometime between May 25 and 26 and was discovered by a company official, according to the Carcross RCMP.
But police were able to recover the stolen goods, including power tools and safety equipment. It was all left behind in a pick-up truck stolen off the mine site.
The truck was found - with two flat tires - stuck at the beginning of the bridge.
“It’s the last bridge on the Annie Lake road and it’s currently not completely washed out, but its not able to be traversed by vehicles,” said detachment commander Geoff Peters.
A flood washed some of the supports away last summer, he said, and water levels were just too high to drive on it.
It’s about two to three kilometres from the site of the theft to the bridge, Peters said.
“We believe that maybe they were on their way back to get (the stolen goods) when we arrived,” Peters said.
Officers searched the area, including with a police services dog, but did not find anyone.
The mine site’s gate was damaged quite badly, so it’s hard to tell if they hopped the fence or cut the lock to get in.
A front-end loader was vandalized and driven around the site.
A bicycle used by mine staff was also found by the bridge with power tools in the basket.
The first break-in at the site happened sometime between May 8 and 22. Someone broke into the fenced compound and stole two generators and a TV.
Personnel monitoring the site discovered the break-in on May 22 and reported it to the RCMP.
It’s too early in the investigation to know for sure if the two break-ins are related, Peters said.
Randy Cullen, a consultant for Tagish Lake Gold, which owns the site, said the company is co-operating fully with the police investigation.
They are looking into increasing security, he said.
Anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area is being asked to contact police.