Volkswagen Beetle shell dismantled, removed from B.C. rock face by helicopter

SQUAMISH — The red shell of a Volkswagen Beetle has been removed from the steep rock face where it was suspended above Highway 99 in Squamish, B.C., in an apparent prank.

A statement from the Environment Ministry says a helicopter was used to remove the Beetle on Thursday after it was hauled up from the rock face known as the Papoose, near Stawamus Chief provincial park, the day before.

Photos provided by the ministry show the Beetle was broken into parts and placed into heavy netting attached to the helicopter with a long rope.

The older-model Beetle had appeared last week bearing a large “E” on its roof, indicating University of British Columbia engineering students were carrying on a long-standing tradition of placing Beetle shells in difficult locations.

In 2009, a Beetle fell from the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge and Vancouver police arrested five students in their failed attempt to suspend it from the span.

The ministry says the removal operation required the closure of the area around the Beetle “due to potentially serious public safety threats.”

The shell was suspended above power lines in addition to the highway, it said.

The stunt placed “unnecessary strain” on park operations at a busy time of year, the statement said, with staff diverting significant time and resources to address it.

“This was a serious incident, and BC Parks took appropriate steps to address it,” it said. “The RCMP are investigating and we cannot comment further on that matter.”

The local company hired to haul the vehicle up from the rock face did so at its own expense, while BC parks covered the cost of the helicopter to deposit the Beetle in a nearby parking lot. The cost to the province was about $1,000, the ministry said.

Before the Beetle’s removal, Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford had said the area holds deep cultural meaning to the Squamish Nation.

It’s also popular among hikers and climbers and what “may have felt like an innocent prank” had affected the community, he said in a statement.

“This is an area that deserves respect, and that wasn’t the case here,” Hurford said.

The UBC Engineering Undergraduate Society did not respond to a request for comment about the stunt on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2026.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press