Canadian who worked for homeless died in her fiance’s arms
Partner is ‘broken into a million pieces’ after 45 minutes of trying to revive her with a bystander
THE first named victim of the attack died in her fiancé’s arms, it emerged yesterday.
Canadian Chrissy Archibald, 30, was walking across London Bridge with her partner Tyler Ferguson when the terrorists’ van careered onto the pavement and mowed her down.
Mr Ferguson, who was walking just ahead of Miss Archibald, looked back at her as he heard screeching tyres and saw victims being knocked down, his family revealed.
He desperately tried to resuscitate her but she died as he held her.
Mr Ferguson’s sister Cassie Ferguson Rowe said he was devastated and unable to eat or sleep.
“He is broken into a million pieces,” she said. “He held her and watched her die in his arms.”
The couple had only recently become engaged after Miss Archibald, a homeless shelter volunteer, moved to the Netherlands, where her fiancé works as an accountant.
When he was sent to London for work, they decided to make the most of the opportunity to enjoy a weekend break in the capital, a city Miss Archibald had never visited.
On Saturday, they had decided to take a night-time walking tour.
Ms Ferguson Rowe wrote on Facebook: “My baby brother lost the love of his life on the London Bridge.
“In a split second his entire life was ripped away from him. Hearing his painful sobs on the phone while he’s alone trying to deal with this tears me apart. I have no words. If you know Tyler, please be there for him now, and later when what happened sinks in, he’s going to need us all.”
David Anderson, 29, who was out celebrating his engagement, is believed to have helped Mr Ferguson perform CPR on Miss Archibald for 45 minutes before paramedics told them to stop.
Mr Anderson, a lifeguard from Ayrshire, Scotland, said: “Her fiancé was stood next to her and he was first aid trained too, so we started doing twoman CPR.
“A police officer came and gave me a break on the compressions, then he got a defibrillator, but it wouldn’t do anything because there was no heartbeat.”
Miss Archibald’s family said she would have had “no understanding of the callous cruelty that caused her death”. They said in a statement: “We grieve the loss of our beautiful, loving daughter and sister. She had room in her heart for everyone and believed strongly that every person was to be valued and respected.
“Please honour her by making your community a better place. Volunteer your time and labour or donate to a homeless shelter. Tell them Chrissy sent you.”
Justin Trudeau, Canadia’s prime minister, said he was “heartbroken” to learn of Ms Archibald’s death.