Woman spots an intruder unlocking her hotel door — then she recalled her stepdad's clever safety tip
A few years back, Canadian TikToker Josie Bowers (@josiebowers10) went viral after sharing a chilling memory—one that might have ended differently if not for a lifesaving tip from her police officer stepdad. In a video racking up millions of views, she recounted a terrifying moment from her teenage years when a stranger tried to break into her hotel room. In 2017, during a family vacation in Ocean City, Maryland, she was shocked when a man used a sneaky device to unlock her door from the outside. To alert her followers, she also included a clip of the tool she believed was used.
As reported by The Independent, the girl said, “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.” She added, “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 further shared, “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 opened a crack, and I just slammed it back shut. And put the deadbolt on.” Bowers said the person behind the door pretended to be hotel staff, claiming they were there to repair the door.
Bowers 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 opened the door a tad bit, to see if it was a worker. It 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. She claimed, “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. 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.”
Responding to the comments questioning why she didn’t grab the tool or contact the authorities, Bowers reminded viewers that she was just 15 years old at the time, and the fear and confusion of the moment made it difficult for her to process what was happening in real time. She also explained that she didn’t want to scare her younger sisters any further, who were already shaken by the incident. Bowers added that calling the police would have ruined their vacation. By the time her family returned to the room, the intruders had already left, and since nothing was taken and she was unharmed, there was little that could have been done, as reported by Newsweek.
The girl explained that she shared her story to raise awareness about safety, stressing the importance of always using a deadbolt in hotel or dorm rooms. She also made it a point to instill these safety habits in her college peers. Her dorm room had a similar setup with both a key and a deadbolt, and while it was difficult to ensure everyone returned at the same time after late nights, they had a rule in place: whoever was the last to enter would make sure to lock the deadbolt. The story caught the attention of many social media users, who flooded the comment section with praise for her bravery.