Skip to content

Fossil thieves captured in Field

Two people caught with fossils from the Burgess Shale led authorities on a wild chase through Field last weekend, eventually jumping into a fast-flowing river in a desperate attempt to avoid capture.
Fossils such as this were recovered by RCMP.
Fossils such as this were recovered by RCMP.

Two people caught with fossils from the Burgess Shale led authorities on a wild chase through Field last weekend, eventually jumping into a fast-flowing river in a desperate attempt to avoid capture.

Parks Canada’s law enforcement officials say two men visiting from the Czech Republic were found with six rock slabs containing fossils from Walcott Quarry, Saturday (July 30).

They say one of the men, who was carrying a heavier backpack, immediately swam back to shore after fleeing into the Kicking Horse River.

Parks, however, was forced to launch a full-scale search and rescue effort for several hours amid fears the other man may have drowned.

“We looked for him for two or three hours and a Golden RCMP member found him in the rail yards at Field sometime after midnight,” said Terry Damm, a park warden supervisor.

“We didn’t think he would have, but he made it across the river.”

The drama began hours earlier when an alarm was triggered at the Burgess Shale site around 2:30 p.m., alerting Parks Canada there were intruders at Walcott Quarry.

Damm said Parks Canada law enforcement officers intercepted the two men – who did not speak a word of English – at the Emerald Lake trailhead in Yoho National Park.

He said the discussion was interrupted by a “call-out that took greater priority,” but the men were later located at the Field visitor information centre.

At that point, Damm said, the two men fled when approached by a law enforcement officer, leading authorities on a chase through Field and into the frigid river.

“We charged both of them with removal of a natural object,” said Damm. “These were amateurs; they had no expertise and they picked up souvenirs.”

Both men were charged under the federal Contraventions Act and each slapped with a $100 fine, plus a $15 victim surcharge levy.

The Burgess Shale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s most celebrated fossil fields, and considered one of the best of its kind.

It is famous for the exceptional preservation of the soft parts of its fossils. At 505 million years old, it is one of the earliest fossil beds containing the imprints of soft-parts.

The bizarre animals preserved in the shale represent a complete ecosystem that existed for only a very short time after the first explosion of multicellular life on Earth.

The formation was discovered by palaeontologist Charles Walcott in 1909.

Park authorities say it is a very important site, and say they are pleased the alarm system is alerting authorities whenever there are intruders.

“It’s an important site,” said Damm. “Everything in a national park is protected, whether it’s a piece of drift wood or a fossil at Walcott Quarry.”


Rocky Mountain Outlook

About the Author: Rocky Mountain Outlook

The Rocky Mountain Outlook is Bow Valley's No. 1 source for local news and events.
Read more



Comments

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks