A Penticton couple is terrified after allegedly being assaulted, threatened and left bloody following a group attack on Saturday night.
Kieran and Kirsten Adams are hoping anyone who witnessed the incident on July 12 will come forward.
The couple told Castanet they were out for their usual bike ride along Lakeshore Drive at about 10 p.m.
When they approached Power Street, Kieran said they saw a group of about 15 to 20 people, including adults and children, with a full assortment of beach items like wagons, strollers and bicycles all laid out along the sidewalk, making a narrow path down the very centre.
"People were having trouble getting through, and stuff was everywhere, like a tripping hazard," he said.
The couple hopped off their bikes to be able to walk through, and said they asked the group if they would be able to move anything.
"It was nice the way we said it. We were like, 'Hey, would you guys be able to just move over a little bit to make the path bigger for everyone?'"
They alleged the group responded by saying no one else had a problem with it, and then three larger men stepped forward.
"They all kind of got in my face, started yelling at me, threatening me and stuff. No one touched me at that time, no one touched anyone. It was still just an all-verbal altercation," Kieran said.
"We weren't trying to argue it with them, because there were so many people, it was actually kind of scary."
The couple said they started to walk away through the group, while people continued screaming at them. One large man then stepped out in front of Kieran, who said he could smell alcohol on the man's breath.
"He was huge. He was built like an ox and started screaming in my face, 'Get out of here. Get out of here. I'm going to beat you,' stuff like that. He called my wife a c****."
Then, Kieran alleges the man shoved him.
He said he yelled at the man, telling him what he did was assault. Then, Kieran said he began backing away to his bike and his wife, who was behind him. He told the man and other people standing nearby that he did not want to fight.
The entire time, the couple claimed they were trying to maintain non-threatening body language and de-escalate the situation.
Alleged fight began
"I guess I made a mistake turning my back on these people, and to my wife, because then they came after her. I don't know why," Kieran told Castanet, with emotion in his voice.
Two men allegedly ran up from the beach and hit Kieran from behind and in the jaw, splitting his ear open.
"When they did that, they knocked me out. I face planted on the ground, knocked out cold," Kieran said.
"I have road rash on my face and everything. I got two black eyes from hitting the ground. My mouth is ripped to shreds on one side from where they punched me, and my lips slid forward across my teeth."
Kirsten said she witnessed the assault.
In their final blow against Kieran, the assailants allegedly stomped on his right leg while he was lying on the ground, hard enough to break both of his bones.
"I honestly thought they were going to come after me after they came after him," Kirsten said.
Once the group finished attacking Kieran, the couple said they ran off, packing up into multiple cars with their kids and fleeing from the area.
Getting help
Panicked and in pain, neither of them had their phones to call for help.
"I was sitting against one of the black light poles, just lying on the ground, no one would call me an ambulance," Kieran claimed.
One man stopped to give Kieran some water.
With their home only a few blocks away, Kirsten biked back in a panic to grab their car to move her husband.
"I sat there for about 15 minutes in a pool of blood, and no one called an ambulance. My leg was clearly broken. It's twisted sideways," Kieran said.
"When my wife did finally make it back, someone did help me get into the car, and a young man from a construction company helped. He put my bicycle in the car with my wife, because my wife has trouble lifting it. She's too small."
The couple drove home and Kieran asked to be put in the shower, to wash off the dirt, spit and blood.
From there, they drove to the hospital. They said they weren't focused on finding their phones and calling 911, but rather just getting to safety.
"In hindsight, I agree we should have tried to call the cops," Kieran said, noting that they have since filed the incident with police. RCMP are currently looking for footage and witnesses.
"We might have been able to call the cops and get a better scenario, but my wife was panicking. She didn't even know where her phone was in the house, and all she could think was just the fastest thing she could do was get her car."
They arrived at the Penticton Regional Hospital, where the couple says staff were nothing short of amazing.
Kieran will be heading into surgery to have two titanium plates installed in his leg in the broken section just above his ankle. He'll be unable to work and walk for at least eight weeks while he recovers.
Next steps
The couple said they hope to see a bigger police presence out at night along the lakeshore.
"I know the cops are so busy, and I don't blame them at all. And this isn't saying that they're not out there, because we do see them out there a lot," Kieran said.
There has been police activity and reports of group violence along the beach in recent months, including a death in June.
The couple said they are currently too afraid to go near the beach.
"I never thought I would not feel like going down to a place, especially the place that I love going to after work," Kieran said. "I don't even want to drive down there right now, quite frankly."
The pair hopes the people who attacked them are caught, and that they'll feel safe again in the future to go down to their favourite spot.
Mounties confirmed they are investigating the alleged assault.
Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to call the Penticton RCMP at 250-492-4300 and quote file number 25-10597, or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
