Fort Simpson (July 30/04) - It wasn't your typical joyride. A 10-wheel oilfield flatbed truck, used for moving equipment such as drilling rigs, was taken from Cooper's Barging on July 21.

It was found bogged down and abandoned on the beach at the north end of Fort Simpson island later that morning.

A witness told the police she saw the huge vehicle race past her house around 4 a.m., according to Const. Al Shepherd of the Fort Simpson RCMP detachment.

The two accused, Fort Simpson men ages 27 and 22, both former employees of Cooper's Barging, are also being charged for joyriding in a Rowe's Construction pickup truck.

It was taken on the same morning and it got stuck on a nearby lot.

The men each face two counts of taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, Shepherd said.

They weren't charged with theft because there was no evidence that the men planned to damage the vehicles, he explained, although a winch line was broken on the oilfield truck. A loader was needed to tow the truck out of the mud.

Intent to return it

"Their intent was, I think, to take it back and nobody's the wiser kind of a deal," Shepherd said.

Mike Cooper, owner of Cooper's Barging, noted that crime hasn't been much of an issue for his business over the years. "It's been pretty good here," he said.

The accused are due to appear in territorial court on Aug. 11.

Having an oilfield truck reported missing is highly unusual, Shepherd acknowledged.

"It's huge, a monster," Shepherd said of the vehicle. "You can't miss it."