RCMP investigate attempted abduction of woman in Watson Lake
RCMP in Yukon are looking for any witnesses to an attempted abduction of a woman in Watson Lake on Friday night.
In a news release, police say they were contacted about the incident that happened at Andrea's Hotel on Friday between 10 p.m. and 11:05 p.m. The release says a man tried to shove a woman into a tractor trailer.
"We had an incident where a woman was coming out of an establishment," Yukon RCMP Staff Sgt. Kent Langley told CBC News.
"She was apparently grabbed by somebody associated with a truck, and then a bystander intervened and helped her get away."
Police say the male suspect is about 50 years old, about five feet seven inches, with blue eyes, and a receding hairline. He may have been wearing a blue shirt.
The tractor trailer he was using for the attempted abduction is described as red with a white box.
An employee at Andrea's Hotel told CBC News that the hotel building is equipped with security cameras and that the footage has been handed over to the RCMP.
Langley described the incident as an isolated event as far as he's aware, and said that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
RCMP are asking for any information to help identify the man. They're also hoping to speak to the bystander who intervened about what happened.
Langley said that with little information about the incident, it will be a challenge to identify the suspect and the truck.
"We do have the video available to us from various sources," he told CBC News. "There's also the weigh scales that are set up in Watson Lake as well."
Watson Lake Mayor Chris Irvin called the incident "scary." He's also urging community members to report any information or suspicious activity to the police.
"We do live in a very transportation-heavy community," he said. "There's lots of traffic. We probably see thousands of people pass through our community daily. We've got to be careful.
"This is just a reminder that these things can happen anywhere, and Watson Lake is just like anywhere else in the world."
Anyone with information can contact the Watson Lake RCMP at 867-667-5555.
