A resident of Sir Lowry’s Pass was elated and filled with gratitude after police officers from two stations had united to help her track her stolen cellphone down and retrieve it.

On Monday 1 April Tracey Gardner and her daughter Eireann went to Virgin Active Waterstone Village in Somerset West for a pilates class, and after the class when she had to check out on the Virgin Active app she saw her cellphone had gone missing.

“When we arrived at the gym I had problems logging onto the app on my cellphone and approached the front for assistance.

“Before the class we went to the ladies’ room and afterwards we went there again. On our way out of the gym we had to scan ourselves out using a QR code. I saw my cellphone was not in my bag.”

After unpacking her bag, if only to double-check the cellphone wasn’t there, Gardner and her daughter went back to the bathroom to search for it, but the cubicle she was in was closed from the inside.

“I waited 10 minutes, but no-one came out and the door remained closed. I went to reception and explained the situation to them.”

The door was opened later, but the stall was empty and her cellphone nowhere to be found.

She was informed she had to log a complaint at the gym and report the case to the police.

“One of the personnel at the gym asked me if I had a tracker on my phone,” Gardner said, “and Eireann and I immediately looked at each other realising we had the Life360 app on both our phones.”

She went onto the app on her daughter’s phone and saw the icon of her phone was moving around outside the gym.

Somerset west, khayelitsha police collaborate

“We walked around looking for the cellphone, and at one point we were on the icon that indicated where the cellphone was, but could not find it,” said Gardner.

They were on their way to Somerset West Police Station when they noticed the icon moving at 80 km/h.

“We followed the icon and caught up with it and saw it was on a bus. I told my daughter we can’t just stop the bus and search everyone.

“So, with a heavy heart I turned around and we headed to Somerset West Police Station.”

When the two arrived at the station the officers immediately helped them and contacted Khayelitsha Police Station, which dispatched officers to the location of the cellphone.

Cellphone found

“Screenshots of the location of the phone were sent to the officers,” Gardner said, “and while all this was happening my husband called me and mentioned he was in Khayelitsha and was with the police.

“He had the app open on his phone as well, as we are all connected to the same app.”

She mentioned the excitement started building up as her husband got closer to the phone.

“A couple of seconds later my phone rang and my husband informed me they had got the phone and the person who stole it. We all gave joyful shouts.”

Sergeant Suzan Jantjies, spokesperson for Somerset West police, confirmed no case was opened against the suspect as the complainant felt happy she got her cellphone back.

Gardner said it is wonderful how Captain Natasja Colson and the team at Somerset West police were so kind, as it was not just a phone to them.

“The police were selfless and caring. It felt as if they were looking for a lost person and not a stolen cellphone. I felt such gratitude, and that is why I decided to buy them a cake and later dropped it off at the station.

“I want to thank everyone involved from Khayelitsha and Somerset West police stations, the wonderful men and women who work there and risk their lives for us. They cared so much.”