Off Duty Officer Rescues Swimmer While Hiking

A group of swimmers at Fundy National Park in New Brunswick are grateful a group of hikers came upon them and helped rescue their friend. The group of hikers included an off-duty police officer, Bruce Lake. Lake was exploring the Laverty Falls area with his wife and friends when one of Lake’s friends said that a woman out in the water appeared to be exhausted and might need some help.

The group watched the woman disappear under the foam of the waterfall after making a short-lived attempt to return to shore. Lake said “She was stuck between these two little waterfalls. She immediately went underneath and then came back up again right near the rock and then grabbed the rock and held on. So she was obviously a little scared.”

After the woman disappeared a second time, but wasn’t remerging, Lake made his move, jumping into the water and swimming to the rock to help. Reaching the rock, the water was deeper than he expected, and the rescue plan devolved to essentially waving his arms and legs about to see if he could touch her. When his hand brushed her arm, he grabbed her and began swimming her back to her friends.

“I pushed her toward the shore. Her friend got her arm and then I lost touch with her… 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 out together” Lake said. While Lake says he just did what anyone would do, Lake’s wife Bernadette says it’s exactly the sort of man he is to risk his life for a complete stranger.