When five-year-old Alfie boarded the BC Ferries vessel Salish Raven with his family on a sunny Thursday afternoon, he had no idea he was about to set off one of the most heartwarming internet manhunts of the year. Somewhere between Swartz Bay in Victoria and Pender Island, Alfie’s beloved stuffed pink donkey tumbled out of the family car. Most lost toys end up sitting forgotten in a dusty plastic bin behind a customer service desk.
Not this one.
Instead of dropping the plush animal into lost-and-found, the crew of the Salish Raven adopted him. They handed him a custom name tag, gave him honorary crew status, and dubbed him Churro the Burro. Over the next four days, Churro didn't just sit around waiting to be claimed. He toured the bridge, visited the engine room, raided the soft-serve ice cream machine, and became an overnight viral sensation with over a million views across social media.
The story has a happy ending. Alfie’s family was tracked down, and a grand reunion was scheduled. Beyond the cute photos, Churro's grand voyage says something real about the power of small acts of kindness in public transit.
The Mystery of the Missing Pink Donkey
It started on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Abigail Broadribb and her family were making their routine trip from their home in Victoria to their farm on Pender Island. Traveling between the mainland and the Southern Gulf Islands is second nature for families living in southwestern British Columbia. You load the car, drive onto the lower vehicle deck, shut off the ignition, and head upstairs for fresh air or a snack.
Somewhere in the shuffle, Churro slipped out of the vehicle.
Alfie didn't even notice right away. His grandmother had given him the plush donkey after returning from a trip to Mexico. It was a pair—his seven-year-old sister Ronan had received a similar stuffed toy with longer hair and a unicorn horn. Because the family constantly moves items back and forth between their house in Victoria and their farm on Pender, leaving something behind isn't unusual.
"We didn't notice that we didn't have him," Broadribb said later. They assumed Churro was resting safely on a bedroom shelf back in Victoria.
Meanwhile, on the Salish Raven, ferry deckhands spotted the pink stuffed animal abandoned on board. Rather than logging the toy into a spreadsheet and stowing it in a storage locker, the crew made a split-second decision. They were going to turn this lost item search into an adventure.
A Backstage Pass to the Salish Raven
Public transit operators rarely get celebrated for their humor, but the crew on the Salish Raven went all out. They didn't just snap a photo of the toy on a counter; they took Churro on a full behind-the-scenes tour of the ship's most restricted areas.
Here is what Churro's VIP itinerary looked like over his four days at sea:
- The Bridge: Churro perched alongside navigation equipment, getting a panoramic view of the Strait of Georgia as the vessel navigated the Southern Gulf Islands.
- The Engine Room: He descended into the lower decks, inspecting the ship's propulsion systems alongside engineers.
- The Galley and Soft-Serve Station: Churro visited the cafeteria repeatedly, where crew members reported his personal favorite treat was the vanilla-chocolate swirl soft-serve.
- Passages Gift Shop: He spent time hanging out with the plush animals for sale on the shelves, making a few temporary toy friends.
- The Ship Bell: Churro was photographed sitting proudly atop the vessel's ceremonial bell, looking like he owned the place.
- Pet Bulletin Board: The crew even added Churro's photo to their official crew pet board right alongside their real-life dogs and cats.
BC Ferries spokesperson Alex Chan confirmed that the crew officially made Churro an honorary crew member on board. "Spirits are high, and we remain hopeful of a reunion," Chan shared in an email as the search gained traction online. "Until then, the great adventure continues."
How the Internet Turned Churro into a Pop Culture Hero
When BC Ferries posted the first photos of Churro to their official social media channels, the response was instantaneous. What started as a simple lost-and-found plea exploded across Facebook and Instagram, drawing thousands of likes, shares, and comments from across Canada and beyond.
It wasn't long before commenters named him Churro the Burro. The crew ran with it. They started attributing music preferences to the pink donkey, declaring his favorite songs were Neil Diamond's classic "Sweet Caroline" and an adapted parody of Chappell Roan's hit pop anthem, which they affectionately renamed "Pink Donkey Club."
"Going places where no donkey has gone before," wrote one Instagram follower.
The viral posts also triggered nostalgia among fellow travelers who began sharing their own lost-and-found memories. One commenter posted about a hot pink iPod Nano engraved with Miley Cyrus lyrics that she lost on the Coastal Celebration ferry back in 2009. The official BC Ferries social media team didn't miss a beat, replying, "We'll take a look for this historic artifact and get back to you."
BC Ferries representative Lilian Kim noted that the initiative transformed a basic logistical problem into a massive collective effort. People weren't just clicking like; they were actively tagging friends, sharing updates, and hoping for a safe return. Over a million views later, Churro wasn't just a lost toy—he was a local celebrity.
The Moment the Family Found Out
While the internet was obsessing over Churro's ice cream habits, the Broadribb family was completely unaware that their son's toy was famous.
That changed when friends sent Abigail Broadribb a link to a news article detailing BC Ferries' search for the owner of a pink plush donkey. Broadribb opened the article, looked at the photo of the bright pink stuffed animal sitting on the ship's bridge, and immediately recognized Churro.
"They were really excited," Broadribb told reporters when describing her kids' reaction.
There was a brief moment of gentle disappointment on Monday when the family took a ferry back from Pender Island to Victoria and realized their vessel wasn't the Salish Raven. But plans were quickly set for a mid-week reunion. The family scheduled a trip back on the Salish Raven for Wednesday to meet the crew face-to-face and retrieve Churro.
For five-year-old Alfie and his sister Ronan, getting Churro back is only half the fun. "The kids are hoping for a tour of all the spots he visited," Broadribb admitted. Given how much the crew enjoyed playing host to the plush donkey, it's safe to say Alfie will likely get his tour of the engine room and the soft-serve machine.
Why Stories Like This Resonate So Strongly
It is easy to dismiss Churro's journey as a lighthearted PR stunt, but that misses why it worked. Ferry travel in British Columbia can sometimes be fraught with frustration—sailing delays, staffing shortages, and long summer lines are common talking points for commuters.
Churro provided something rare: pure, unscripted humanity.
The crew on the Salish Raven didn't have a corporate directive telling them to take a stuffed animal to the engine room. They did it because it was fun, because it brought a smile to their workday, and because they knew somewhere out there, a young child was missing their toy.
When organizations give their frontline employees the freedom to be human, magic happens. A simple lost item was transformed into an unforgettable childhood memory for Alfie, a morale booster for the crew, and a moment of genuine connection for thousands of onlookers online.
Steps to Take If You Lose an Item on BC Ferries
If you ever drop something valuable or sentimental while traveling on a BC Ferries route, you shouldn't count on your item going viral to get it back. BC Ferries actually maintains a structured lost-and-found system across all major terminals and ships.
Here is the exact step-by-step process to track down your missing belongings:
- Act Quickly at the Terminal: If you realize you left an item behind immediately after disembarking, visit the terminal administration office before leaving the property. Items found on board are often turned in at the arrival terminal at the end of the sailing.
- File an Online Lost and Found Claim: Visit the official BC Ferries website and navigate to their Lost and Found portal. Fill out the form with precise details, including the route taken, date, time of sailing, vessel name (if known), and a detailed description of the item.
- Contact Customer Service Directly: Call BC Ferries customer service at 1-888-BC-FERRY (1-888-223-3779). Provide the agent with your ticket details or booking reference to help narrow down which vessel you traveled on.
- Check Back at Terminal Storage: Found items are typically retained at terminal offices for a short period before being cataloged centrally. If your item has distinct features—like a bright pink color or specific identification tags—make sure to highlight those details.
Keep your ticket stubs or digital booking confirmations handy when submitting a claim. Having the exact vessel name and sailing time speeds up the retrieval process dramatically.
