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So, ‘Dave from Vancouver Island’ has reunited with his travelling pals after 50 years

B.C. man meets friends in California; group backpacked in Europe in 1969
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An Ontario man was successful in his search for ‘Dave from Vancouver Island’ who he met 50 years ago travelling in Europe. (Submitted by Doug Bradley)

After successfully tracking down ‘Dave from Vancouver Island,’ a group of travellers who met while backpacking Europe in 1969 have reunited in California for the first time in 50 years.

Doug Bradley, who lives in Ontario, reached out to the Vancouver Island Free Daily in May, hoping to find the one traveller out of the group he couldn’t seem to track down to invite him to a reunion planned for the end of June. All he knew was that his name was ‘Dave’ and he was from Vancouver Island.

RELATED: So, do you know ‘Dave from Vancouver Island’?

The VI Free Daily, PQB News and other Black Press outlets published a story online on May 21 and by May 23 Dave was found.

“The power of social media enabled me to find (Dave) in a mere two days,” Bradley wrote on his Facebook page.

Dave Tryon,72, was found living in North Delta and he and Bradley were able to connect for the first time in 50 years.

RELATED: So, they found ‘Dave from Vancouver Island’

Bradley, Tryon and five Americans, who all watched the the moon landing together on the floor of the U.S. embassy just outside Bonn, Germany in 1969, are currently having a reunion in Monterey, Calif.

“Reunion is going great, like we were never apart,” Bradley said.

karly.blats@pqbnews.com

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‘Dave from Vancouver Island’ (pictured here in 1969) is Dave Tryon from North Delta. (Submitted by Doug Bradley)
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Submitted photo A group of Canadian and Americans, including Dave Tryon, left, who was found through social media, are back together for a reunion in California after backpacking Europe in 1969.