Kiwi tourist ‘shocked, confused’ after he was stabbed by stranger in Canada

A Kiwi tourist who was the victim of a random, unprovoked stabbing says the horrific incident won’t ruin his six-week-long adventure.

Jamie Hallowes was walking through the Granville area of downtown Vancouver, Canada – a hub of restaurants and bars – when he was stabbed twice.

“I was just waiting to cross a road in Vancouver when some random guy decided to stab me a couple of times, completely unprovoked,” the 28-year-old Paihia man said.

“When I was attacked, at first it felt like someone had just hit me really hard.”

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Hallowes said there “wasn’t any conflict”, and “as soon as it happened, it was already over”.

“The guy didn’t threaten me or ask for money, it seemed as though it was just a meaningless attack of aggression for no reason,” he said.

“It was only when I started moving that I realised there was an intense stinging pain and a lot of blood – that’s when I realised it was more than just a hit, I had actually been stabbed.”

The attacker’s first attempt at stabbing Hallowes made “significant contact”.

“It penetrated so deep that it went down to my hip bone, but the second simply grazed the surface of my right arm,” he said.

“[They] didn’t hit anything vital, so I’m super lucky on that account but man, it could have been so much worse.”

Once he had realised what had happened, Hallowes asked a nearby convenience store’s staff for something to stop the bleeding, and a security guard bandaged up the more severe looking wound.

Hallowes headed to St Paul’s Hospital, where they set him up with antibiotics, stitches, a tetanus shot and painkillers, before properly bandaging him up and sending him on his way.

Hallowes reported the attack to police, but was unable to get a good look at his attacker.

“As soon as I felt the impact I turned to look but he had already started walking in the opposite direction,” he said.

“Had I known he actually stabbed me I would have made a much bigger deal than the punch which is what I thought it was initially.”

Hallowes has not yet received any update from Vancouver Police, which he said was “disappointing”.

“This all happened at a busy intersection, in broad daylight, with multiple witnesses around so the fact there is no decent footage or anyone else coming forward is not very promising at all.”

Two days on, Hallowes feels “a mix of emotions”.

“I’m shocked that it happened, confused as to why, thankful that it wasn’t more life-threatening but also determined to follow through and not let it change my mentality,” he said.

“This is the kind of thing you hear people talk about but never expect it to happen to yourself.”

It hasn’t changed Hallowes’ travel plans “at all”.

“I am determined to follow through with my journey and I’m not going to let a disturbed individual ruin my trip,” he said.

“There’s no point wasting time focusing on the past when I have so much to enjoy in the present.”

Hallowes had been taking a break from the tinting business he owns in Aotearoa.

“I was using this time to have a good adventure and enjoy myself,” he said.

Vancouver Police confirmed the attack was “completely random and unprovoked”.

Investigators are looking for a man about 165cm tall, with a medium complexion, who was wearing a white T-shirt, dark jeans and a blue baseball cap.

On Saturday morning (New Zealand time), Constable Tania Visintin told Stuff “no arrests had been made, and the suspect is still outstanding”.