Eighth victim is pulled from river
A FRENCH tourist hurled into the Thames after being hit by the London Bridge terrorists’ van was last night named as the eighth victim.
The body of Xavier Thomas, 45, was recovered from the water by divers three days after the attack.
Police and RNLI crews had been searching intensively after reports that a man was flung over the bridge in Saturday’s mayhem.
Mr Thomas and girlfriend Christine Delcros were in the capital for a romantic break and were strolling across the bridge when the jihadis’ van ploughed into pedestrians.
Ms Delcros was badly injured and is now recovering after a two-hour operation on her shattered pelvis.
Mr Thomas’ body was recovered near Limehouse, downstream of London Bridge, on Tuesday night by specialist Marine Police officers.
His devastated family were told of his death yesterday.
The news came as medics said 10 more people injured in the attack are still in a critical condition.
Distraught
Meanwhile the family of Australian nanny Sara Zelenak, 21, confirmed she was among the dead, crushing hopes she was in hospital.
Her aunt Tara, told how her mother Julie Wallace found out during the flight to Britain and broke down holding her husband’s hand.
Tara said: “We are all so distraught that we have lost our little Sara. She is the most beautiful, funny, happy young lady with so much to live for.”
Fellow Australian Kirsty Boden, 28, who worked as a nurse at nearby Guy’s Hospital, was killed “running towards danger” to help victims.
Kirsty’s family said she was “loved and adored”, adding: “Helping people was what she loved to do.”
Christine Archibald, a 30-year-old Canadian, died in fiance Tyler Ferguson’s arms after being hit by the van. Her family said she had believed “every person was to be valued”.
French chef Sebastien Belanger, 36, was also one of the eight who died, according to reports.
Mr Belanger, 36, who worked at top City restaurant Coq d’Argent, was drinking with friends in Boro Bistro when the gang struck.
His girlfriend Gerda Bennet posted a photograph on Facebook simply captioned: “Mon amour.”
The other confirmed fatalities are British IT entrepreneur James McMullan, 32, and French waiter Alexandre Pigeard, 27.
James died as he stepped outside the Barrowboy and Banker pub for a cigarette. His ex-partner Nicola Smith said: “He was the last person this should have happened to.”
Waiter Alexandre was stabbed in the neck in front of horrified staff and customers at Boro Bistro.
The family of Spanish banker Xavier Thomas died and girlfriend Christine was hurt Ignacio Echeverria, 39, confirmed his death last night although it had not been officially announced.
The HSBC worker was last seen using his skateboard to defend a woman who was being attacked.
The death toll could have been far higher had it not been for two police heroes who confronted the gang.
Off-duty Met officer Charlie Guenigault, 25, a keen cricketer, was stabbed repeatedly as he waded in to protect the public. And PC Leon McLeod of the British Transport Police, who chased the jihadis armed with only his baton, said: “It wasn’t heroic. I was just doing my job.”
Sunday Express business editor Geoff Ho was stabbed in the throat as he used his martial arts skills to bravely take on the attackers.
And off-duty Army officer Lieutenant Jared Bambridge used combat training to aid bleeding victims.