When a couple of Waikato cousins spotted a quad bike on the road that they recognised as having been reported stolen on Facebook hours earlier, they sprang into action.
Byron McGowan and his cousin were heading out of Ohaupo when they saw the quad bike.
“I just looked up and I looked again and I recognised a blue backpack at first and then I said to Chris, ‘That bugger’s stolen that bike.’"
And so they chased the offender, four wheel drive vs quad bike.
“I swung in behind him, we started chasing him and when I think he knew we were hot on his heels he started swerving all over the road. He was actually trying to text at the same time,” says Mr MGowan.
The rider ditched the bike and tried to outrun them but after a bit of leg work, a tackle ended the chase.
Mr McGowan shuffled him back up the hill to meet his cousin and that’s when another local started filming.
So the boys restrained him.
“We sat on him. I'm 110 kg and my cousin is 100 kg so he wasn't going anywhere,” he said.
After police arrived, the stolen quad was rightly returned to its owner.
“I just want the message to really get out there that we are a strong united community and we won’t put up with this crap," he told Seven Sharp. "There is always someone watching you.”
SHARE ME