Yahoo News Woman shares tip she learned from police officer dad which saved her from ‘hotel attack’
Josie Bowers shared a tip her cop stepdad taught her that may have saved her life 4-year-ago
(Screengrab/Video)A Canadian woman has shared a safety tip on TikTok that might have saved her during the “scariest experience of her life” a few years ago.
Josie Bowers, 19, a former Cerleten University student, said in a series of TikTok videos that when she was 15 and was on vacation in Maryland with her family, someone tried to get into her hotel room at the Hilton Ocean City Oceanfront Suites.
In a clip shared on Sunday, she described the incident that took place in 2017, saying: “I was staying in Ocean City, at the Hilton, right there on the waterfront, and I went to go shower as the rest of my family was down at the beach. I was by myself.”
“Before I could shower I heard these noises, I went to go see what it was and it was this contraption. I was just standing there in my towel and this man opened the door.”
She also attached a clip of the type of device she claimed was used to open the door, which resembles a long piece of wire with a hook at one end, saying: “Always use the deadbolt!! Scariest experience of my life.”
Ms Bowers said she was terrified as she found herself alone and wearing nothing but a towel while the intruder attempted to break into her room.
“My main thought was holy s*** I’m in a towel right now and someone is about to break in, and get me. So the door opens a crack, and I just slammed it back shut. And put the deadbolt on.”
Ms Bowers said the person on the other side of the door claimed to be “services,” saying they came to “fix the door.”
“Little sketchy to me,” she said.
“So they tell me your keycard is broken and we need to get into the room and fix your keypad for you. And so I open the door a tad bit, to see if it was a worker. It clearly wasn’t, they were in jeans and a T-shirt. Hilton keeps it pretty classy, not the attire.”
She then shared what according to her saved her life.
“So I think I’m very smart for this one, my stepdad is a police officer, he taught me never to let people know you’re alone,” she said. “I yelled ‘hey dad, there’s someone here to fix the door.’” As soon as they thought that I wasn’t alone, and potentially my dad was there. They ran, they were gone.”
She also responded to comments on her story where people asked why she didn’t call the police or grab the device saying she didn’t have enough time to process the situation.
“I didn’t have time to process anything, but my main thought was I’m in a towel I’m literally naked and do they have weapons, if I stop them are they going to get mad, hurt me? I wasn’t really sure of the situation. I was only 15. I wasn’t thinking that fast,” she said.
“Also didn’t have time to call the police. I was like 15 at the time,” she said, adding she didn’t have cell phone service.
Ms Bowers said she wanted to share her story to spread safety awareness, as she urged people to always use the deadbolt in hotel or college dorm rooms.
“I’m glad I had this experience so I can teach people about it. Obviously I’m safe but it could have ended up a lot worse. Be safe, you can get door stoppers, always put on the deadbolt.”
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