Missing canoe ends one man's journey down the Mississippi - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Missing canoe ends one man's journey down the Mississippi

Posted: Updated:
Mike Mohundro - email
Brouillette's been canoeing the Mississippi River for months and started from the beginning of the river (Source: MIke Mohundro). Brouillette's been canoeing the Mississippi River for months and started from the beginning of the river (Source: MIke Mohundro).
He came back to see that this canoe was missing (Source: MIke Mohundro). He came back to see that this canoe was missing (Source: MIke Mohundro).
Scrapes along the pavement suggest to Brouillette that someone loaded it up and stole it (Source: MIke Mohundro). Scrapes along the pavement suggest to Brouillette that someone loaded it up and stole it (Source: MIke Mohundro).
NEW MADRID, MO (KFVS) -

Michael Brouillette of Minneapolis, Minnesota docked and tied off his canoe at New Madrid for a break after traveling down the Mississippi River.  Friday night it was reportedly stolen.

Brouillette's been canoeing the Mississippi River for months and started from the beginning of the river. He took a break in New Madrid to get new supplies for his trip.

Brouillette says he chained and locked his canoe to a handrail along the boat ramp on Friday, and then traveled by car to the St. Louis area to get supplies. He came back to see that his canoe was missing.

Scrapes along the pavement suggest to Brouillette that someone loaded it up and stole it.

He's hoping it is returned to him so he can continue his journey to New Orleans.

Brouillette says a few years back he was in a car accident and doctors said he'd never walk again. He proved them wrong by walking the entire Appalachian Trail through the mountains in 2010.

The journey down the Mississippi River was to prove to doctors, and the military, that he is strong enough to go overseas and fight for his country. Brouillette says he was in the Air Force when he was younger.

Whoever took his boat took his pride, his heart and what this boat meant to him.

The boat is more than 30-years-old and is called the 'Kristi Nicole.' It's named after an old girlfriend.

It was dark green and had the phrase 'My Little Cricket Bean' on it. The letters are mostly peeled off, but the letter's left readable markings of where they once were.

His supplies in the boat were locked up by a local man helping him out.  Brouillette has camped along the banks the entire trip down river at night and plans on doing the same in New Madrid while waiting and hoping someone will return the boat.

He has a lot of memories with the 'Kristi Nicole,' including being thrown off the boat by 120 mile winds near the beginning of his trip.

It even had 9 holes in it that were patched up so he could continue his journey.

He says the boat is not worth hardly anything to anybody, but it means the world to him.

Without the boat, Brouillette says the journey is over and will go back home.

He doesn't care who took the boat and doesn't care if whomever who stole it gets in trouble or not. He just wants to continue his life.

Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved.