Missing: An 8-foot-tall blue tuna.

The large tuna statue that stood on the east side of the Charleston bridge has mysteriously disappeared from its longtime home.

It was last seen wearing an orange hat and glasses, said Mel Campbell.

Campbell, a member of the Charleston Merchants’ Association, reported the statue missing on Tuesday. According to the report made to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, someone stole the wooden fish within the last week.

She said she’d been on vacation and hadn’t noticed that “Charlie the Tuna” had been missing until she went to dress it in an Uncle Sam hat and flag Tuesday. She said an Oregon International Port of Coos Bay security worker noticed the statue wasn’t in its usual spot, but assumed it had been removed for repairs.

“He was gone,” Campbell said.

A chain holding the statue in place had been cut.

The statue was created in 1986 and “he has been a welcoming symbol to Charleston all that time,” Campbell said.

“The merchants are really upset. We have a 12-foot one down at the Information Center, but this was the original Charlie that everyone liked and he looked cute at the end of the bridge,” Campbell said. “We’d like to have him back. ... It was a very rude thing for someone to do, I must say.”

Sheriff’s Sgt. Pat Downing said this is a property crime.

“It’s one of the priorities we have listed as low priority,” he said.

Once a citizen report is received, if there are any leads it will be assigned to a deputy. The  Sheriff’s Office notified local police departments to keep an eye out for the large fish.

Campbell said a reward is being offered for Charlie’s return. For more information, those interested can call 888-4875.