Rainbow Beach man Jim Hancock shares memories of the London bombings

As the 20th anniversary of the London terrorist bombings approaches, an unsung hero has relived the moment he was first on scene in the wake of the tragedy.

An unsung hero of the London terrorist bombings has shared his story as the world prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the tragedy.

On the morning of July 7, 2005, London was the target of a terrorist attack that killed 52 people and injured more than 700, including a number of Australians.

Four suicide bombers detonated explosives on three underground trains and a double-decker bus.

At the time, Rainbow Beach’s Jim Hancock was a 22-year-old Australian surfer who had been in London for one week on his first overseas adventure.

He was walking via Russell Square tube station when he found himself at the centre of the chaos.

“The station gates were shut, injured people were inside, and there were no ambulances or first responders in sight,” Jim recalls.

London Underground train which was involved in the bomb attack at Aldgate tube station in London.

“I told the staff I was a first aider and asked if I could help. For the first 30 minutes, I was the only person with any first aid experience.

“Then a couple of police arrived, and nurses ran down from a nearby hospital,” he said.

“After an hour or so, paramedics arrived and took control. But that first hour, helping the critically injured with only basic first aid supplies will never leave me.”

Jim Hancock at the London bombing memorial.

After the survivors were evacuated, Jim stayed behind with the nurses to help wherever it was needed, finding it hard to just walk away.

“At the time, I felt lucky as I was never really in danger and was able to help others.

“But I was oblivious to the impact the bombing would have on my mental health for months, years, even decades,” Jim said.

The front page of the paper.

“Back then, mental health wasn’t acknowledged the way it is now and there was certainly no awareness of the impact traumatic events like this could have on first responders and those seeking to help.”

Jim’s story highlights the enduring psychological impact on those who helped, and the importance of empathy and support for all affected by terrorism.

He keeps a newspaper he bought from the day after the bombing, featuring a photo of a survivor he helped, a poignant reminder of the ordinary people caught up in extraordinary tragedy.

A forensic officer walks next to the wreckage of a bus with its top blown off and damaged cars scattered on the road at Tavistock Square in London.

“He’s being supported by other volunteers in the station, at a time when police suspected there may have been another bomb — something all those who helped did not stop to think about at the time,” he said.

“That image captures one moment — but the full story touches on so much more: Unseen trauma, healing and the quiet ways everyday people can rise in moments of crisis.”

For two decades Jim kept his story private aside from a reluctant media phone interview set up by a fellow football teammate the day after the bombing.

It wasn’t until 2021, 16 years after the event, that he channelled his experience into a business, Empathy Herbal, which he operates from Rainbow Beach in Queensland.

Rainbow Beach man Jim Hancock.

Using the $20,000 payment he received from the Australian Government’s Victims of Terrorism Overseas Payment, Jim created a business dedicated to helping others improve their health through anti-inflammatory living.

“What’s stayed with me most from that day is the empathy and courage shown as average people came together in a moment of chaos and fear to help one another,” he said.

While Jim is based in the beachside town of Rainbow Beach, he spends three months a year in Indonesia working closely with his network of local farmers to develop his Empathy Herbal range.

Originally published as Rainbow Beach man Jim Hancock shares memories of the London bombings