World1 min(s) read
Published 17:41 08 Nov 2020 GMT
A group of Sikh men saved two teenagers who had fallen through a frozen pond, by unraveling their turbans and using them to hoist them out of the freezing water.
According to Global News, a pair of teenage girls fell through an icy-cold frozen pond in northeast Calgary in Canada on the morning of Friday, October 30.
More on this story in the video below:
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Luckily, both girls were rescued by a group of quick-thinking Sikh men, and the scene of their rescue was captured on video by a neighbor by the name of Kulbinder Bangar.
Bangar told Global News that her young daughter had called her out onto her porch when she spotted the two girls partially submerged in the pond and calling for help. Fortunately, a group Bangar's neighbors came to their rescue.
Footage of the incident shows the gentlemen attempting to use siding from a nearby renovation project to reach one of the girls.
However, when it became clear that their plan was failing, Bangar said the men started unraveling their turbans and tying the fabric together to make a rope. They also used a garden hose to help pull the teens to safety.
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Commenting on the incident in a later interview with Global News, Bangar stated:
"The screams were like a deathly scream. It was so terrifying, it’s hard to erase.
"In their Sikh faith it’s a big thing to take your turban off but they didn’t think for one moment.
"It was quite a terrifying experience, but at the same time it was a wonderful experience to see these elderly citizens [who] went out of their way to help these young ladies."
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Stuart Brideaux of Calgary Emergency Services said that the kindly Sikh neighbors helped to shorten the time the girls spent in the water, thus preventing them from dying from the intense cold, and that neither required hospitalization.
Brideaux stated: "It did have a positive ending. Other than being cold and some mild hypothermia, there were no ill effects or lasting repercussions from this incident.
"It’s always advisable that you stay on the banks or well away from [the ice]. It’s not possible to tell the thickness of any ice in terms of what’s safe or not."
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On Twitter, Canadian New Democratic Party party leader Jagmeet Singh shared a link to the story with his 351,00 followers, along with the caption:
"One of the reasons Sikhs wear a Dastaar (turban) is because it represents a beacon. In times of need, find someone wearing a Dastaar and they will help you.
"This story embodies this spirit in the most Canadian way. I am so thankful these two women found their way to safety."
Per Global News, the local community in Calgary is now considering fencing off the pond, to prevent further mishaps in the future.
