Kamloops man removes turban to help rescue woman in North Thompson River

A Kamloops man used his turban to help rescue a woman adrift in the North Thompson River this weekend.

Avtar Hothi and his son Paul were working on their farm when a neighbour told them about a young woman struggling to stay afloat in the river.

“We heard, ‘Someone is in the water, someone is in the water,’ so we ran down to the river shore,” Paul said.

“When we got there we saw a young lady there in the water bobbing her head, popping in and out. We weren’t sure if she could swim or not.”

The woman managed to make her way close to shore but struggled with the current.

That’s when Avtar decided to help.

“My dad, with his quick thinking, took off his turban and threw it in there and we used it as a rope and pulled her to shore,” Paul said.

Many Sikhs only remove their turbans in the most private of settings, but Paul said exceptions can be made to help someone in danger.

– With files from CFJC and Elton Hobson