Much to the relief of the geology department, a missing safety evacuation chair has been found and returned to the seventh floor of the Natural Sciences Complex.
Faculty and students alike began to worry when they discovered an empty cabinet on Sunday where the $2,600 chair used to reside. The chair had been purchased by the department to allow wheelchair-bound student Cheri Drechsel descend the stairs in case of an emergency.
According to Director of Public Safety John Grela, the evacuation device reappeared outside the Lehman Hall area office in Governors Complex Thursday morning.
A resident advisor at the office called University Police, thinking the chair was equipment left behind from an emergency maneuver.
"The area coordinator called in and indicated that she thought it was a stretcher," said Grela. "We went over and tied the two together."
"I'm just happy to have the chair back," said Travis Nelson, support technician for the geology department. "I was already on the hunt for a new chair."
He said the chair came back in fine shape, but was missing its identifying stickers.
"All the stickers had been removed from it, so I think it was on its way to auction," he said.
Though police do not know who took the chair, Grela said that person or persons most likely felt guilty and found a way to return the chair anonymously.
"Whoever took the chair realized its importance and put it somewhere where it could be returned to the proper location," Grela said. "Safety items like this are very important."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
