RCMP honour three north Okanagan citizens who helped police

VERNON – RCMP in the north Okanagan honoured three local men Tuesday who jumped into action and helped police. All three were going about their regular lives when they saw something unusual and took it upon themselves to respond.

Ryan Winkler was one of the three people recognized. He was driving to work around 4:00 a.m. one day in early September when he spotted a parked truck on Westside Road. Its engine was on and a hose stretched from inside the truck to the vehicle’s exhaust pipe. It was an apparent suicide attempt.

“I expected the worst, of course. I thought the guy was maybe not alive in there anymore. That’s why I called the RCMP right away,” said Winkler.

After trying the vehicle’s doors and acting on the advice of an RCMP dispatcher, Winkler broke a window. That woke up the person inside the truck.

“I was glad to see him responsive. He then decided he wanted to leave. He put the car in drive and took off,” said Winkler.

Police later tracked down the driver and took him for medical treatment. Tuesday they honoured Winkler for his actions. Inspector Jim McNamara thanked Winkler as he handed him a certificate of appreciation.

“Your actions saved the life of a person in crisis,” said McNamara. “Thank you for stepping up for your fellow man.”

Despite the praise Winkler is staying humble.

“I didn’t really think that I did anything different than anybody else would have done. I did what I thought was right,” he says.

Two Vernon neighbours who jumped into action after spotting something unusual on Okanagan Lake rounded out the honourees Tuesday. It was an early August morning when Dave Lowry and John Barber spotted a man in a boat towing three kayaks. At the time police said the kayaks were stolen.

“It just seemed odd so I thought I would just question him,” said Barber.

Police say Barber took pictures of the man and confronted him, and Lowry called the RCMP. Barber even took an officer on his boat to go after the man. RCMP eventually made an arrest on shore and police say Barber and Lowry’s help made a difference.

“As a result of the assistance you provided, police were able to successfully pursue criminal code charges,” said McNamara as he presented Lowry with his certificate of appreciation.

Now that they are being recognized the two friends and neighbours say helping out was simply the right thing to do. Lowry says he plans to put the plaque he received in a special place in his home.

“I’m honoured,” says Lowry. “I never in my wildest dreams expected for something like this to happen. I think it is wonderful that the police do this to let us know that what we are doing is certainly the right thing.”