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
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
What Michael Cohen said on the stand in Trump hush money case
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Behind the barricades: How protesters spend their first days in a new encampment
Students in Montreal describe life in a newly erected encampment in Montreal as a whirlwind of preparations, from facing rain and a potential police crackdown to setting up a space for the exchange of ideas.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Next 48 hours will be 'extremely challenging' for B.C. wildfire crews near Fort Nelson: officials
A wildfire burning dangerously close to Fort Nelson, B.C., has grown to more than 50 square kilometres, and officials are warning that the blaze's behaviour is expected to become more volatile over the next 48 hours.
Southern Ont. man charged with attempted murder in Timmins shooting
One of two men wanted for attempted murder in Timmins has been arrested, while a warrant has been issued for a second suspect, who fled police on foot.