B.C. homeowner astounded someone managed to steal one of his prized giant pumpkins

Gardener's prized pumpkin stolen Someone snuck into an Okanagan pumpkin patch overnight and stole a farmer’s prized pumpkin weighing over 200 pounds.

Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

“You know, it's a fleeting time for children, Halloween. So, I want to take advantage of it,” Lindsey said from his home in West Kelowna.

This year, he managed to grow two giant pumpkins in the front of his property, which he estimated to weigh around 240 pounds each.

“The plan was to take them over to Nanaimo where my grandchildren are. I've got two boys over there and a granddaughter as well. So the two large pumpkins were going to go for the boys, and I have a very odd-shaped pumpkin in the back that's going to go for my little granddaughter,” said Lindsey.

But when he was leaving his home Sunday morning, he noticed one of the giant gourds was gone. He checked his security cameras and, sure enough, just after 1 a.m. that morning, he saw there was some rustling near the pumpkin patch. The video was too dark to see who did it or how, but someone made off with the pumpkin.

“I think it's more than one person, I would say. I would say it would take three strong people to get, because it's an awkward shape and they're kind of slippery. So, you know, they could just pull a pickup truck up to it, cut it off. And I think between three people, you know, the vine was cut fairly clean. I think it was a bit of a planned caper,” said Lindsey.

While Lindsey’s grandsons are disappointed there is now only one big pumpkin, and his friends and neighbours are outraged, the grandfather finds the theft somewhat amusing.

“It’s lighthearted. I'm just laughing about it. I mean, when you consider all the serious things going on in the world right now, missing a pumpkin is not high on the list of our concerns,” he said

Lindsey isn’t sure if teenagers took it to smash, or a fellow pumpkin lover just wanted to have it.

“I do not expect to see it again,” he said.

The great gourd caper won’t deter him from growing pumpkins again next year. But Lindsey said he will keep them out of sight.

“I have a garden in the back and I'll grow them in the backyard,” he said. “Maybe even bigger.”