Everyday heroes hailed for saving lives in wake of London Bridge terror attacks
VIDEO has emerged of a baker who helped a police officer with a stabbing victim after he belted one of the London attackers with a crate. WARNING: Graphic
World
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- First victim Christine Archibald died in fiance’s arms
- Real concerns for Australian victims in attack
- Donald Trump’s Muslim tweet sparks uproar
- ‘Islamophobia doesn’t kill but Islamic terror does’
- Chilling video of London attackers
- Tearful Ariana’s triumphant return
- London terror victims ‘sitting ducks’
WARNING: Video contains graphic content that may upset viewers
A ROMANIAN baker who belted one of the London Bridge terrorists over the head with a crate has emerged as another of the heroes who stepped up during the carnage of Saturday’s nights terror attacks.
Florin Morariu, who works at bakery Bread Ahead, in Borough Market, has been hailed for his
bravery after he fought back against the terrorists, and helped 20 people shelter inside his shop.
“We were looking out of the window because we saw that everyone was agitated, everyone was
running, people, women ... they were fainting, falling and we went outside to see what was
happening,’’ he told Associated Press.
Morariu was seen in a video helping a police officer armed with a baton to lead a stabbing victim to safety.
In the video (see above), Mr Morariu repeatedly asks for people to bring him weapons - including an iron club - so he can fight off more attackers.
The footage also shows paramedics giving CPR to a victim as the attack unfolded.
He saw two men stabbing passers-by and “froze’’, but then composed himself, grabbed a crate and belted one of the terrorists over the head.
“There was a car with a loudspeaker saying ‘go, go’ and they (the police) threw a grenade … and then I ran,’’ he told AP.
He realised people were desperate to find safety, and let about 20 people into the bakery before
locking the doors and pulling the shutters down.
He then ran through Borough Market, filming the scene around him and giving updates in English and Romanian as he discovered the chaos unfolding before him.
“I hit one of them in the head with a basket and I knocked him out,’’ he is recorded as saying.
“Oh my God, it is a terrorist attack here.
“The terrorists cut the people on the streets.”
An unidentified young woman may also have saved lives after she slowed down the terrorists as they attempted to enter the Black and Blue steakhouse off Stoney Street in the Borough Market.
Taxi driver Aksha Patel, who picked the woman and her partner up afterwards, said the woman
bought time for those inside to escape out the back door by physically holding a door shut.
“There were two passengers, apparently they came out of the Black and Blue restaurant, and how they described to me was they were preventing the guys from getting into the restaurant,” Mr Patel told Sky News.
“She actually knew that they were bad people basically and they tried to break in.
“She managed to hold the door for a few seconds.
“Then they were overpowered so they managed to escape through a rear door — possibly saving a good 20 people’s lives.’’
Journalist and kickboxer Geoff Ho also risked his life, taking on the terrorists as they attacked a
security guard outside the Southwark Tavern.
It has since emerged the brave journalist, who practices kung fu and kickboxing according to his social media profiles, intervened outside the Southwark Tavern, on Southwark Street, as terrorists on a stabbing spree attempted to attack a bouncer working on the door of the pub.
He was later seen walking towards an ambulance while being escorted by a police officer holding a makeshift bandage to his neck.
Mr Ho, who later wrote he thought it was a fight, was stabbed in the throat after he intervened, but survived, and is recovering well after surgery.
Sunday Express editor Martin Townsend paid tribute to him.
“Geoff Ho is an absolutely first class reporter and a fine and decent man and our thoughts are with him and his family at this time,” he said.
“We are all hoping and praying for a speedy recovery.”