How Two Hitchhikers and a Gull Lake Constable Averted Highway Tragedy
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
On a cool Friday evening in September 1968—a Friday the 13th, no less—a routine patrol on Highway 1 turned into one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the Gull Lake RCMP detachment.
Two 18‑year‑olds from Waterloo, Ontario, Dennis Bonn and Brian McLennan, were hitchhiking west toward British Columbia. Near Whitewood, a new Mercury Cougar pulled over. The driver introduced himself only as “Knobby,” said he was heading for Calgary, and offered them a ride. He was friendly and talkative and even bought them hamburgers in Swift Current. Nothing seemed out of place.
But as they continued west, someone else took notice.
Constable Ron Lowe—known across the region for his sharp instincts and uncanny ability to spot trouble before it surfaced—saw the Quebec‑plated Cougar pass him during a routine traffic check. Something didn’t sit right. When he finished with the vehicle he had stopped, he headed west to catch up.
Knobby noticed the RCMP cruiser behind them and told Bonn to pull into a service station to let it pass. When the cruiser didn’t appear, they carried on. Moments later, Lowe overtook them and signaled for a stop.
The conversation began normally. Lowe asked for registration. Knobby claimed another officer had taken it earlier and forgotten to return it. That explanation raised suspicion. Lowe asked to see the trunk, where two Ontario licence plates lay in plain view. He invited Knobby back to the cruiser to sort things out.
What happened next unfolded in seconds.
As the two hitchhikers stood between the vehicles, they saw Knobby step out of the cruiser, walk to the Cougar, and return with something held tight along his leg. Then they saw him swing it upward, aiming at Lowe inside the cruiser, who looked up from his notebook just as Knobby barked, "All right, smart guy—this is it. Put your hands up.”
The teenagers froze—then acted.
“In a burst of extraordinary courage,” McLennan whispered, “Dennis, we’ve got to do something,” and quietly moved around the back of the cruiser. He lunged, locking his arm around Knobby’s neck. Bonn and Lowe reacted instantly. The three of them wrestled the loaded. 30‑30 carbine away before a shot could be fired.
Once handcuffed, “Knobby” revealed his real name: Allan Robert Bulloch, an escaped convict with a long record of armed robbery, break‑ins, and previous escapes. The Cougar was stolen. The rifle was loaded. And the outcome could have been tragic.
Instead, thanks to the quick thinking of two young men far from home—and the steady instincts of a Gull Lake RCMP constable—the danger ended on the shoulder of Highway 1.
For Bonn, McLennan, and Constable Lowe, it was a day of courage, quick thinking, and averted disaster—a moment of bravery that still stands out in our region’s history.
Gull Lake Events
Source: Gull Lake Memories: A History of the Town of Gull Lake
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