It was the last job of the season for Mike Mickey.

He and his crew were working along Upper Spruce Creek, about 12 kilometres southeast of Atlin, B.C., where they had been mining for three months.

They had sluiced the last mounds of gold-rich earth through the box as the clock ticked toward 10 p.m. last Thursday.

"It was cold, and dark, and we had been sluicing for two days." Mickey recalled in an interview this afternoon.

"I made the decision to head back to town for the night."

Mickey, owner/operator of Glacier Drilling, said he knew there would be a hefty amount of gold waiting for him.

He also knew it would be safe overnight; frozen solid into the sluice box.

But he was wrong.

"I got back at 5 (in the morning) and it was gone."

During the seven hours the gold was left unattended, someone had thawed out the thick layer of ice and made off with the loot.

Mickey said the thief took all the gold nuggets from the box, leaving the fine behind.

"It would have taken them a lot more time to get the fine," he said. "At least, I still have that."

He estimates they probably got at least 250 ounces of gold, worth around $250,000 on today's market.

"It'll be ham for Christmas," he said. "I still have bills to pay ... I might have to sell some equipment, but I'm definitely going to have to work a little harder this winter."

The one thing working in his favour right now, Mickey said, is that Spruce Creek gold is unique and local gold buyers have been alerted to the theft.

"Unless this guy tries to sell it on the street for pennies on the dollar," he added. "But it's a small gold community up here."

Const. Kevin Weeres of the Altin, RCMP detachment confirmed today that the theft was reported early Friday morning and that an investigation is underway.