The Kindness Of Strangers Near The Brink Of The Falls – Meet Two Unsung Heroes

By Dan Wilson

It seems it’s mostly bad news in the papers and on TV these days. You switch on the news and it’s one sad story after another; murder, political or corporate corruption, environmental devastation, etc. Well, in the immortal words of Monty Python, “and now for something completely different…”

A life quietly saved by Umair Afzal Abdul and Wahid Awan Gondal with the roaring waters of Niagara Falls behind them. Photo by Dan Wilson

This past Wednesday, October 27th a friend and I were walking down by the Horseshoe Falls taking pictures. It was a beautiful night, with lots of people enjoying the warm weather, the majesty of the falls and the colourful illumination. As we walked past a police cruiser, my friend and I were approached by two young men who asked if we would take their pictures in front of the falls. They said it would mean a lot to them, so of course, we did.

After snapping a half-dozen shots, and exchanging contact information so we could add them as friends on Facebook, Abdul and Umair, both from Toronto, explained why it was so important to have their pictures taken. They told us that an elderly woman, who apparently had a little too much to drink, tried to commit suicide by jumping over the falls minutes before my friend and I had arrived.

Someone noticed her climbing over the railing and yelled for somebody to help. Abdul and Umair rushed over to where the inebriated woman was and pulled her down off the railing. Someone must’ve called 911 and the police were soon on the scene, taking the intoxicated woman away. Abdul and Umair then faded into the background with the other tourists, not interested in drawing attention to themselves or getting a pat on the back. They were just happy to have helped a lady in distress.

Niagara Parks Police arrive on the scene to help distraught woman. Photo by Dan Wilson

 
Abdul Wahid Awan and Umair Afzal Gondal – unsung heroes indeed!

Now I was going to end my story there, but there’s something that’s been gnawing at me for quite some time, and I feel a need to address it. I am inundated with emails from “friends” about how we need to stop letting immigrants into this great country of ours, or how foreigners are taking away our jobs, carrying nasty diseases, have more rights than Canadians do, and bringing the country to its knees.

The way I see it, unless you’re a native Canadian, meaning someone from the First Nations tribes, then you, or your parents, or your parents’ parents, were immigrants at one time. Secondly, these emails make it sound like we’re living in a third world country and that all “proper” Canadians have lost, or will soon lose, their constitutional rights and freedoms because of our immigration policies. Is life in Canada REALLY that bad?

 Finally, if it weren’t for two immigrants last night, in all probability, an elderly lady would’ve plummeted to her death. I think we need to stop focusing on the negative, blaming others and hating those who are “different” from us. Because when you boil it all down, we’re not really all that different.

Dan Wilson is a resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario and a contributor to Niagara At Large.

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