A B.C. couple who tried to deliver a decommissioned ambulance from Metro Vancouver down to Nicaragua has been thwarted by border guards.

Firefighter Erik Vogel said he and his wife were denied entry at the Mexican border after driving the ambulance, which was loaded with medical supplies, all the way across the U.S.

The couple tried to cross for three days, with no luck. Vogel said there was an issue with the ambulance being considered a commercial vehicle.

While disappointed, the couple said they intend to bring the ambulance back to B.C. then have it shipped to first responders in Nicaragua.

Vogel and his wife are part of an ongoing campaign called Operation Nicaragua, which has been sending surplus and second-hand equipment to the country for years.

The couple's journey was hoped to spark a wider conversation about giving new life to used emergency equipment.