Rope-carrying man at centre of 'suspicious occurrence' at Surrey park being investigated: RCMP

A Surrey RCMP vehicle is pictured. (Jordan Jiang / CTV News Vancouver)

A rope-carrying man who spooked a woman in Surrey on Wednesday is at the centre of an RCMP investigation.

Mounties were called to Crescent Park shortly before 1:30 p.m. by a woman who “saw a man running in her direction carrying a rope, was startled, ran away and contacted police,” according to statement Thursday.

The suspect is described as a tall, white man with a slim build. At the time of the “suspicious occurrence,” police say he was wearing a white or light coloured shirt with darker sleeves, camouflage-print shorts and brown ankle boots.

Police say there was no physical or verbal interaction between the man and woman who reported his behaviour.

“Investigators are working to identify the man involved in order to determine the complete circumstances, and asking the man to contact police so we can speak with him,” said Surrey RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Vanessa Munn.

In the release, police clarified that the woman involved is not behind any posts circulating social media that describe the incident as an attack of attempted abduction.

“We encourage anyone who encounters something suspicious or feels unsafe to do what this complainant did, follow their instincts and call police,” the statement reads.

Anyone who was in Crescent Park between noon and 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday and noticed anything suspicious is asked to contact Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.