Quick-thinking hikers unravel turbans to help with rescue at Metro Vancouver park
A group of quick-thinking young men were forced to get creative by using their turbans as a makeshift rope to help rescue a pair of hikers in a Metro Vancouver park earlier this month.
Five friends were enjoying their hike at the Lower Falls Trail at Golden Ears Provincial Park when they saw a commotion.
"They said, 'Two people are stuck there. Can you help them? Can you call 911?'" said Kuljinder Singh.
They saw two fellow hikers stranded on a large rock by the edge of a fast-moving river.
Singh said he and his friends did not have cell phone reception but they knew how to improvise.
"We didn't have any other equipment to save them," the 22-year-old said. "We only had our turbans to save them."
So the three wearing turbans unravelled the headdress to make a rope along with their jackets.
"In my Sikh culture, the turban is for that, to help save the life of people who need the help," explained Singh.
The two stranded hikers used the makeshift rope to eventually pull themselves to safety.
Unbeknownst to them, Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue was called and volunteers were already on their way, but by the time crews got there, their services were no longer needed.
"Quite amazed," said search manager Rick Laing. "I'd never heard anything like that or seen anybody doing anything like that. I thought it was quite resourceful – they showed great presence of mind to put something together in such a short time."
Laing also applauds the friends for keeping themselves out of danger by staying away from the water.
He said crews are called to that area by the waterfalls at least once a year and sometimes, the calls are for a recovery effort.
He said it is a good reminder for outdoor enthusiasts to stay away from creeks and rivers with high water levels.
"The water is extremely fast and there is pretty much no chance of survival if you would've fallen in and gone over the waterfalls," he said.
The video of the rescue has now been viewed thousands of times.
"My family and my whole Sikh community feel proud of us," Singh said.
While many people are calling them heroes, he does not see themselves that way.
"In Sikh culture, you have to save their lives, it's not a matter of (being a) hero," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.