The Surrey RCMP says they have been inundated with complaints after an 11 p.m. Amber Alert on Wednesday blared on cellphones, waking many British Columbians.
The alert was identical to a previous issued just before 3:30 p.m. Aurora Bolton, 8, and Joshuah Bolton, 10, were last seen on June 30 at Krafty Kitchen and Bar on Lawrence Avenue in downtown Kelowna.
Police say the children were on vacation in Kelowna with their mother, Verity Bolton. The children were not returned to their father.
Aurora Bolton has brown shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. Joshuah has brown hair and blue eyes.
Their mother is 45, five-foot-two, with brown hair and brown eyes.
They were believed to be travelling in a blue 2012 Dodge pickup with B.C. license plate number SJ2708.
"There was an Amber Alert at 11 o'clock at night, and I am trying to sleep, and that thing made a loud noise and woke me up. I am trying to work tomorrow. I didn't like that at all," said a complaint call to Castanet overnight.
Cpl. Vanessa Munn of the Surrey RCMP tells Castanet the detachment has received multiple complaint calls.
She says Amber Alerts are issued through the National Emergency Alert System and Alert Ready and are not controlled by the RCMP.
"We are aware there was a subsequent one, and we are looking into why that occurred because that was not the intent, but for some reason other people... it could be to do with the cellphone provider, it could be to do with the cellphone settings, we are actively trying to determine why some people are getting multiple notifications."
According to the BC RCMP, an Amber Alert is intended only for the most serious, time-critical child abduction cases. It is not intended for cases involving parental abductions, except in life-threatening situations.
During a press conference Wednesday, Munn said police believe the children are "at risk."
Police say they're concerned about Verity's ability to care for the children and believe she's taking steps to not return them to their father.
“Despite investigative efforts to date, police have not been able to locate them,” Munn said, adding the children's father has primary custody.
