A homeless man saved a Gatineau couple’s wedding when he found the wedding ring at the bottom of a bag that had been stolen from Quebecers’ car in Calgary a few days before the big request.
When Nicolas Malo planned to propose to Pascale Bernier in Banff, Alberta, he thought he could do it with the ring he had hidden in his luggage.
However, during a recent stop in Calgary to participate in a rafting activity, their vehicle was broken into and all their personal effects, including the famous jewel, were stolen.
They then contacted the local police. It was impossible to find the author of the crime since the license plate of his car was concealed on the images of the surveillance cameras.
“We were really in shock. […] We thought that the ring was lost forever with this thief who had fled who knows where, ”says Mme Bernard.
Her spouse, however, decided to keep his original plan and make the big request during a photo shoot on August 7.
“We were back to back, I turned around and he was on his knees, but he didn’t have a ring,” the 30-year-old recalls.
Hiding in a stocking
What the couple did not know at the time was that the precious jewel was going to be found by a homeless from Calgary.
A man named Darryl had discovered Mr. Malo’s bag while searching for money and food.
The backpack had been dumped near the river after the thief took the wallet and valuables.
Courtesy picture
Wedding ring
While emptying the bag, Darryl saw the wedding ring hidden in a stocking.
“He had thought of selling it to make money for food. But he felt too bad, he couldn’t stop thinking about us and the pain we must have had,” said Ms.me Bernard.
Everything lost in a fire
Last Monday, while Darryl was sorting through the bag, a business card fell out, that of Pascale Bernier, who is a social worker in an Ottawa hospital.
So he called the future bride, who couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She then contacted the police officer assigned to her file.
“He went to meet him for us. It took an hour when we didn’t know what was going on. It was quite stressful,” recalls M.me Bernard.
The ring is on its way to Quebec, where the engaged couple are impatiently awaiting it.
To thank Darryl, the couple launched a crowdfunding campaign to help him with his basic needs. The homeless man lost everything in a fire last Christmas.
In just two days, more than $2,500 was donated by relatives of the couple, but also by strangers touched by their story.