A Gold Coast -man has offered two cases of beer for information regarding the disappearance of an iconic image of the beach.
The locals of Currumbin Beach remained surprised to find the 100 kg bronze statue, the Sun Spirit,, had disappeared at night without a track on Tuesday.
A police investigation into the missing statue has started, in which the State detectives join forces with the Coolangatta police.
Local Nick Atkinson was shocked to hear about the suspected theft and decided to offer a prize for information about the residence of the Sun Spirit.
'Unreal. Everyone is Devo, “Mr Atkinson told the sunrise of Channel Seven.
“It would have been a considerable effort, just pick it up … even grinding. Someone must have seen something. I feel like the sparks and the sound, someone knows something about where this [statue] is and I'm going to find it today.
'I offered a box of beer and a sponsor has just arrived and said they are going to throw another one.
“So there are two boxes of beer for everyone who gives me info to find this thing.”
Local man Nick Atkinson (right) told sunrise that he would offer a box of beer for information
The statue of the Sun Spirit is a local favorite since it was taken from a local artist
Sun Spirit was taken over by the Gold Coast City Council for $ 20,000 after the local bronze sculptureurist Frank Miles 2006 Art Festival.
Miles said that he was 'absolutely destroyed' by the loss of the statue he modeled on his daughter Bronwyn.
'A meaningless action committed by people without social conscience. No idea how art the viewer enriches, “he posted on his Facebook profile on Monday.
“I feel that I have lost a dear family member.”
The search for the life-size bronze status was initiated when a local went to a community-Facebook page to ask: “What happened to our Sun Spirit?”
When the news broke for the first time about the disappearance, the locals wondered if the statue had been wiped out by ex-cyclone Alfred or otherwise removed before it landed.
Alderman Gail O'Neill went to social media on Monday to resolve the confusion and noted that the statue was inspected for damage after the Wild Weather event.
“The statue that has been watching the beach for more than 20 years was inspected after Cyclone Alfred and turned out to have survived without any damage, so to see her now is absolutely devastating,” said Mrs. O'Neill.
Local artist Frank Miles is depicted in addition to the beloved sculpture he made in 2006
“I hope that anyone who has stolen her, will do the right one and bring her back to her rightful house so that everyone can continue to enjoy her.”
And it is not the first time that the public art of Mr. Miles has been stolen.
His sculpture of Centennial Medal Winner and Playroom Night Club owner Beryl Carnell was stolen in 2021 on the banks of Currumbin Creek.
It was then sold for $ 200 to a scrap dealer before the police could reclaim the statue in terrible state.
“Sun Spirit is likely to be cut and sold as scrap to an unscrupulous dealer,” Mil Miles said the Herald Sun.
'The theft that happens today is terrible and it seems that nothing is holy or safe. It doesn't matter how safe it is, if someone is determined enough, they will steal it. '
A spokesperson for the Queensland police said: 'The police of Gold Coast is aware of reports about the missing Sun Spirit statue of Currumbin Beach.
'A Coolangatta crew, with the help of criminal investigators from the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), is responsible for investigating the case.
“Investigations continue.”
