A Courtenay man is thanking his community after a Facebook post about the theft of his father’s ashes went viral, leading to their return.
Collin Croghan’s father Barry passed away in November 2016, and he kept his ashes in his truck as a reminder of their time together on the road.
Overnight on Wednesday, Croghan’s truck was broken into and his father’s remains were stolen.
He reported the theft immediately to Comox Valley RCMP and also posted about the incident online.
“$500 reward offered to anyone who finds my dads [sic] ashes that were stolen out of my truck last night on 8th street in Courtenay,” Croghan wrote in a public post on Facebook.
As of Friday afternoon, the post had been shared over 500 times, and Croghan’s story had also been carried in the news, including Victoria Buzz.
See also: ‘I just want my dad back’: Courtenay man pleads for return of father’s stolen ashes
His girlfriend had also distributed posters around Courtenay, pleading for the return of the ashes.
It was through one of those posters that Croghan received word.
“Yesterday at about 5:30 p.m. we got a call,” Croghan said in an interview with Victoria Buzz. “We met the man, paid the reward, and he returned the ashes.”
He says he does not harbour any resentment towards the thief and is just glad to have his father back.
Croghan added that the response from the community to his story was incredible.
“I’m just so thankful for everyone who helped out and got the word out there,” he said.
“This all started with a Facebook post and I’m overwhelmed by people sharing it and helping out.”
