Tuesday, 22 December 2015 - 14:30
Wheelchairs stolen from Paralympic skier
For the third time in two years, Paralympic skier Kees-Jan van der Klooster was robbed of his wheelchairs. Thieves stole his trailer containing 12 wheelchairs over this weekend, Metro Nieuws reports.
Van der Klooster used the stolen wheelchairs for information lessons in schools and on a wheelchair route to help disabled children be more agile in their wheelchairs. The Paralympic skier believes that the thieves were out to steal wheelchairs specifically, "probably to sell", given that the stickers on his trailer made it very clear what it contained. He estimates the total value of the stolen trailer and wheelchairs to be around 19 thousand euros.
The first time Van der Klooster's trailer was stolen, the police managed to recover it. The second time, earlier this year, it was nowhere to be found. The Cruyff Foundation helped him replace his equipment after the second robbery so that he continue his information lessons. "After that I kept the new trailer in a fenced off area with gates. But even that turns out not to be enough", he said to Metro.