Amelia Earhart missing again, this time her statue in Harbour Grace

Maddie Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 9:48 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

The municipality of Harbour Grace is connected the lookout for a stolen statue of a beloved humanities figure.

Amelia Earhart, an American aviation pioneer, started her 1932 transatlantic formation from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador. Five years later, she disappeared portion flying implicit the Pacific Ocean.

Harbour Grace Mayor Don Coombs says a bronze statue successful Earhart's likeness was stolen overnight.

"Two radical were dropped disconnected astatine 12 o'clock past nighttime and they were picked up astatine 2:43 successful a reddish SUV," Coombs told CBC News.

Coombs says the statue is "worth a fortune," some due to the fact that of its worldly and humanities significance.

The Earhart statue was erected successful 2007, designed by Lorne Rostotski and donated to the municipality by aviator Roger Pike, who besides donated the Spirit of Harbour Grace level for display.

Earhart's statue stood conscionable to the near of the Spirit of Harbour Grace, looking up astatine the airfield wherever her level took disconnected from successful 1932. The statue was an attraction and inspiration for children successful the area, arsenic good arsenic tourists, says Coombs.

"She brought girls to a caller level, that the entity is the limit," said Coombs. 

"We're devastated, devastated. There's nary different word."

It's not an casual lift, according to the mayor.

"That's a heavy, dense statue," Coombs said. It weighs astir 315kg, and won't acceptable successful the trunk of a car.

The extremity is to retrieve the statue earlier it's destroyed, said Coombs.

The theft comes conscionable 2 weeks aft different enactment of vandalism successful the Conception Bay North municipality erstwhile 2 bronze plaques marking the day of Earhart's take-off from Harbour Grace were stolen from a park.

The politician is moving with constabulary to question accusation and footage from past night's theft.

The municipality plans to connection a important reward for the statue's safe return, helium says.

"Let's find retired who did it, and let's get her backmost wherever she deserves to be," said Coombs.

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