A group of campers turned out to be a godsend for a nearby swimmer in a dangerous situation. While hiking in New Brunswick’s Fundy National Park earlier this month, Bruce Lake, his wife, and his friends saw a woman stranded in the water. Fighting against the pull of two different waterfalls, the swimmer was holding onto a rock for dear life. Soon, it became clear that she needed help.
“I did watch her at one point make an attempt to get back to shore again to her friend, and she basically let go of the rock that she was holding onto and got sucked underneath,” said Bruce, according to Global News. “She immediately went underneath and then come back up again right near the rock and then grabbed the rock and held on. So she was obviously a little scared.”
As the group looked on, unsure of what to do, they saw the woman get sucked under again. Only this time, she didn’t come back up.
“It was like a scene out of a bad movie. She went underneath the water and we expected her head to pop up any second and to emerge over towards where we were,” said Bruce’s friend, Dave Brosha. “But she didn’t. She just disappeared.“
That’s when Bruce decided to jump in — literally! Although he doesn’t consider himself a “strong swimmer,” he does have some experience with high-stress situations. He’s been a member of the Truro Police Force in Nova Scotia for 25 years, where he’s currently working as an inspector.
Once he was able to find the woman underwater, he caught hold of her and attempted to direct her to safety. He was able to get her close enough to shore that someone from her group could lend a hand.
“Her friend got her arm and then I lost touch with her,” Bruce described. “I was getting sucked back into the exact same spot and only for her to turn around, and she reached her arm and I actually grabbed her arm and we got pulled in together.”
After the incident, Dave felt compelled to share the story of his friend’s bravery on social media.
“Yesterday, I watched this man save another human’s life. Right in front of me,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “This man is a hero. A real-life hero. Maybe it was his years of experience as a police officer. Maybe it’s just who he is. But Bruce….this humble, beautiful person…..reacted. He risked his life…..and saved a soul in the process.”
He added, “Bruce would never call attention to what he did….and he’s one of the most humble, kind people I have ever met. So I just want to acknowledge him.”
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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