A pair of Eskdale residents have encouraged others to be vigilant after they had more than $60,000 worth of property stolen last week.
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Electrician Tom Wylie was borrowing his mate Andrew Hurdiss's $35,000 car for work, while his was being repaired after recent storm damage, when it was stolen just 10 metres from his bedroom.
Mr Wylie awoke to find the car, complete with a canopy full of $30,000 worth of his own work tools and supplies, missing.
Mr Wylie, who has been an Eskdale resident of 28 years, said his reaction wasn't suitable to be quoted in The Border Mail.
"Just be very careful and make sure all your tools are locked up," he said.
Just be alert. Small community towns are a huge target now, especially with coronavirus and local tourism, you've got a lot of people coming up from different areas.
- Tom Wylie
"Just be very vigilant.
"Just be alert. Small community towns are a huge target now, especially with coronavirus and local tourism, you've got a lot of people coming up from different areas."
Mr Hurdiss said he was shocked by the "brazen" incident and felt "flat".
He said he'd moved from a high crime area of Melbourne to Eskdale for work about three months ago.
"You would just think it would never happen out here and then to get your car nicked it's just a different story," he said.
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"I was ok, I'm insured, it was just an inconvenience, but I just felt for Tom, he's hasn't worked in a week now."
Mr Hurdiss wanted to spread the story to others to make them aware theft could happen anywhere.
"I want to get it out there, just to make people aware that even if you live in a sleepy little town that this still can happen when you're unaware," he said
"People just don't care about other people's livelihoods.
He said the story had caused a stir in town.
"We were speaking to one of the locals who's lived here 75 years," he said.
"It's the first time he's ever taken the keys out of his ignition and then locked his house.
"It's just spooked the whole community with what can actually happen."
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Victoria Ellis
Victoria Ellis grew up on the Border and loves reporting for her home community. She is a University of Wollongong Journalism graduate. In 2018 Victoria was awarded the Bruce Gordon Scholarship for Journalism and completed a 10 week internship with WIN News Illawarra. In 2019 she was awarded The Border Mail's Cameron Thompson Scholarship, where she completed a three week internship, before taking up ongoing employment in 2021.
Victoria Ellis grew up on the Border and loves reporting for her home community. She is a University of Wollongong Journalism graduate. In 2018 Victoria was awarded the Bruce Gordon Scholarship for Journalism and completed a 10 week internship with WIN News Illawarra. In 2019 she was awarded The Border Mail's Cameron Thompson Scholarship, where she completed a three week internship, before taking up ongoing employment in 2021.
