How hero used T-shirts to save lives after bomb

HERO KRISTINA WAS ONE OF FIRST ON THE SCENE FOLLOWING TERROR ATTACK AT ARENA

AN emergency responder who was one of the first on the scene following the Manchester Arena bomb has spoken about the harrowing aftermath of the terror attack.

Kristina Deakin, 23, a medical student at the University of Manchester, was one of 14 people on duty at the venue when Salman Abedi detonated the deadly device.

She was part of a team working for Emergency Services UK, which has provided first aiders and trauma technicians at the venue for the last 16 years.

Kristina risked her own life to treat those injured in the blast, which killed 22 people.

She moved from inside the Arena to the exact spot the explosion happened within minutes.

Along with other members of her team, Kristina gave people with severe injuries crucial treatment until paramedics arrived.

They used Ariana Grande T-shirts as makeshift tourniquets as they worked in the foyer.

Kristina, from Chorley, said: “We heard a bang and at that point we didn’t know what it was. We heard reports over the radio of some of the injuries our staff were treating.

“We started to realise something big had happened. My colleague Craig Seddon and I ran up to the back of the Arena.

“We walked in to where it had occurred. It was quite surreal.”

Kristina added there were about 50 casualties on the ground.

“It had still not really hit me what had happened,” she said.

“I must have arrived a few minutes after the explosion. You had to figure out who to help, because some people had unfortunately already passed away. There was nothing you could do for them.

“That was quite difficult with there being 50 people and about 20 of us. I remember going from person to person to see who was responding.

“I started rummaging in people’s bags using T-shirts they had bought as a tourniquet until they were able to bring us more equipment.

“I had helped three adults who I thought had the best chance of surviving. They had major leg injuries, but were all conscious.

“I rotated between them as more equipment arrived. It was at least 30 minutes before I saw someone from the emergency services.

“The first paramedic I saw was someone wearing a helmet and a bullet vest. That’s when I realised we were still potentially in danger. I saw nuts and bolts on the floor and that’s when it started to dawn on me. I didn’t want to think about it then - there were bigger issues to deal with. People that needed help.”

Kristina, who attended the One Love Manchester at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday, remained at the Arena helping people for over four hours. I have medical training, but many of our staff have other day jobs and I am fantastically proud of what they all did,” she said.

Kristina now plans to become a GP, but added: “I intend to do one more shift at Manchester Arena before starting work in August.”

Ian Parry, director of Emergency Services UK Ltd, said: “We are immensely proud of the actions of all members of our team that night. Our team very quickly triaged casualties in order to provide the most effective care for those who needed it and prioritising casualties to save time when the ambulance service arrived.”